


The War Within

by Pembrooke330



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Attraction, F/M, FP, Jellybean, Jeronica, Jughead x Veronica, Love, Pops - Freeform, Riverdale, Slow Burn, The Serpents, Veronica Lodge - Freeform, hiram lodge - Freeform, jughead - Freeform, jughead jones - Freeform, riverdale war, speakeasy, veronica - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-05-31 07:36:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 40,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15114752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pembrooke330/pseuds/Pembrooke330
Summary: The people of Riverdale continue to live within a war between the Northside and the Southside of their small town as Hiram Lodge schemes and plots to take over Riverdale in every capacity possible, all in an effort to build a legacy that will make his enemies cower.Meanwhile, with Archie in prison and Hiram's henchmen making it their job to clear the town of anyone who opposes Hiram's plans, Veronica works alongside Jughead and the other Serpents to build up enough resources to take down her father once and for all.But the civil war of Riverdale isn't the only battle being fought. A war within the hearts of Jughead and Veronica begins to brew as well, leading to something neither one ever imagined could happen, but knowing that the outcome could be catastrophic for them both...





	1. Chapter 1

“Are you drunk?”

Veronica laughed as she sat back in the plush, leather chair in her father’s office, letting her arms fall to her sides like wet noodles. She was beyond body control at that point.

“I’m not drunk, Hiram. I’m fucking _wasted_.” She replied through flippant giggles.

Her father glared at her disapprovingly. The exact reaction she had wanted.

“This is because of Archie?” He asked, a glint of guilt in his eyes as he asked the question.

Veronica sighed as she lazily rolled her head to the side and stared at the crackling fire burning brightly in the dimly lit office. Her father had always been so dramatic in his presentation of where he did all of his scheming and dealing. She had once thought it was so mysterious, so cool and dangerous, but now she just though it was repugnant and pretentious.

It was amazing how she saw things now that she no longer wore blinders to who her father really was behind his good looks, crisp suits and slick hair.

“This is because of _everything_. You’ve ruined my life, you’ve ruined Archie’s life, you almost ended Jughead’s life, and now you’ve taken on Riverdale by using mom’s position as mayor for your own benefit. How you are able to sleep at night, I can’t even fathom.”

Hiram sighed.

“You’ll understand someday. I _would_ say this is your legacy, but you gave that up. That is, _if_ you are still determined on working against me. You know, Ronnie, I don’t usually give people second chances, but you’re my daughter, and you always have a place at the table if you ever want it back.”

Veronica rolled her eyes.

“Then make me understand _now_ , daddy. Make me understand what this is all really for? You really want building a prison for profit and ruining the sanctity of a small town like Riverdale, all for a legacy that will only paint you in a bad light? There won’t be any statues of you in Pickens Park. No one will ever think of you fondly.”

Hiram chuckled.

“I don’t care about that, mija. What I care about is the Lodge name being synonymous with power and wealth. I don’t care if people think of us as shrewd and callous, as long as they know that we are _never_ to be underestimated. That we never fail. We are unbreakable and unstoppable. That’s what I want people to always remember about us.” He replied as he sat back in his chair.

But his words still didn't explain the lengths he had gone to in order to get what he wanted.

“Why did you try to have Jughead killed? All because of an article?” Veronica asked, trying her best to think as clearly as she could through the alcohol induced fog. She had to find out as much as she could.

Hiram shook his head, a smirk on his face that made Veronica want to punch her own father square in the nose.

“Jughead has a lot of heart for this town. He’s a kid, but he has a voice that people seem to listen to. Eliminating him meant eliminating a pest that kept buzzing around. Getting him out of my way would have helped keep the plans on track instead of me having to keep resorting to plan B time and time again. I know you think of him as a friend, Veronica, but Jughead Jones is _nothing_. He’s the dirt under our shoes, and so are the rest of the Serpents.”

Veronica sat up in her chair, glaring at her father through blurry, intoxicated eyes.

“So what are your plans for him now? For the Serpents? Are you going to keep trying to pick them off one by one, like some kind of discriminatory Nazi?” She sneered.

Hiram nodded.

“I’ll do what I have to do. I have my team behind me. And they’ll do as they see fit when it comes to removing any roadblocks in my path.”

Veronica’s heart ached knowing that Hiram was not giving up on ridding Riverdale of the Southside Serpents. That he had no intention of letting them be. She had to let Jughead and FP know that they were going to have to stay hidden and off the streets as much as possible until they could find a way to build their ranks to fight off her father and his goons, Penny Peabody and Malachai and the rest of the Ghoulie army.

“I find it interesting, dear daughter, that you seem much more concerned about Jughead and the other Serpents than you do about Archie. Is there something I should know about?” Hiram asked with a furtive grin.

Veronica scowled.

“What goes on in my life is _none_ of your business any more. But I hope you realize that knowing Archie is in prison, and by my father’s own hand, has led me down this path. Everything you have done has led me to no longer knowing how to deal with any of it. So as you try to destroy the people I care about…you’re destroying me too.”

The look on her father’s face, the concern and pain, was the last thing she wanted to see as she stumbled out of his office. It meant that no matter how thirsty he was for what he wanted, the love he felt for his only child affected him greatly. It was the only thing she still had in her arsenal when it came to fighting against him.

“Veronica, there is a cab waiting for you downstairs.” She heard her mother’s soft voice say as Veronica made her way to the front door.

“Gracias, Mayor Lodge.” Veronica chuckled as she left the apartment.

“Take me to Pop’s.” She told the driver as he opened the car door for her.

She would go to her new home at the diner and sleep, wake up with a hangover, and do it all over again.

 

\---

“She’s passed out in her bed. I left some Tylenol and some water for her.”

Jughead nodded as Pop explained that Veronica had arrived home safely just a few hours earlier. It was late, but the cover of darkness was the best time for him to sneak around throughout Riverdale.

“How drunk was she?” Jughead asked as he sat with a cup of coffee, trying not to sound as concerned as he was.

But he _was_ concerned. Ever since Archie had been arrested, sitting in the Riverdale police station jail awaiting trial, Veronica had spiraled out of control. Jughead had never seen her so distraught, so lost. As much as he wanted to hate her for how she had worked with her father, he couldn’t. Not now, at least. Not when she was teetering on the edge of hitting rock bottom.

Pop shrugged.

“Not too drunk to leave you this.” He replied as he handed Jughead a napkin.

On it was a note from Veronica. The writing was barely legible but he got the gist.

He sighed.

“She says that her father still has plans to rid Riverdale of all of us.” Jughead explained to FP after he’d found his dad in the back of the speakeasy in the basement of Pop’s, closing up early so he could do inventory.

“How does he plan to do that?” FP asked, scoffing as he looked through a case of whiskey and counted the bottles carefully.

He took his job as the manager of the speakeasy, for which Veronica had named The Haven, seriously. And he had made the place so successful that Veronica had poured the bar’s earnings back into the Southside community by finding the displaced families of Sunnyside Trailer park new homes to move into. Places that were bought or rented in her name so no one would know that the inhabitants were the enemies of her father.

It had been a noble thing to do, and it wasn’t lost on Jughead just how much Veronica was doing to try and right her father’s wrongs. He knew she could have used the money to pay for Archie’s bail, which had been set so high that Fred and Mary Andrews had been trying desperately to raise the money needed to get their son released. Mrs. Andrews had even tried to find a legal loophole, but so far, she’d come up with nothing that the judge was willing to go for. It seemed that the judge presiding over Archie was just another player in Hiram's game.

“He’s got Penny and Malachai in his pocket. Even after our war with the Ghoulies, shit isn’t over. We have to be aware at all times, and so do the rest of the Serpents. Veronica says she has a plan, but she’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.”

FP sighed.

“Well, she’s going to have to talk to _you_ about it instead, Jug.” FP replied with a grimace.

Jughead was confused.

“Why?” He asked.

FP stopped what he was doing and looked at his son, a tense look on his face.

“Jug, I talked to your mom yesterday. She and Jellybean are coming back. They'll be here tomorrow afternoon.”

Jughead stared at his father, processing what he’d just said.

“No, dad. _No_. They do _not_ need to be coming here. Not right now. Not when things are this messed up. You need to stop them.”

But FP shook his head.

“There’s no stopping your mother once she’s made up her mind. You know that. Besides, she thinks she can help. And she wants to see you. She has been worried sick.”

Jughead chuckled.

“Right. Worried. Like I give a fuck.”

FP put a hand on Jughead’s shoulder, leaning in close to look in his son’s eyes.

“Look, I know you think your mother hasn’t been living up to her title, but she’s been working hard to make a life for you and your sister. She’s coming back here with all of her savings, a GED, and the motivation to get our family right. It’s not going to be easy, but don’t make it tougher by not being willing to give her a chance.”

Jughead sighed.

“Okay, yeah. I get it. So, with mom coming home, you’re not going to run The Haven?”

FP nodded.

“I am, but from a distance. Sweetpea, Toni, Cheryl, and Fangs are all going to pitch in. They’re well trained. I don’t want to step back from what has become a really great job for me, but I know I’m leaving things in good hands. Our family is more important right now.”

Jughead knew his father was right, but it didn’t take away his apprehension that things were only going to get more complicated once his mother was back in town. The only highlight of it all was Jellybean. Seeing his little sister again would be a shining light in a world that had grown so dark.

Jughead left his father to his work while he walked down the hallway where just beyond the customer bathrooms was a small nook with one, lone door. It had once been a storage room but was now where Veronica Lodge lived.

From a high-rise penthouse, to basement dwellings, Veronica had seemed to take the change in stride, though Jughead often wondered how she really felt about her new living arrangement.

He opened the unlocked door slowly, wanting to check on her before he left to go to Betty’s.

Veronica lay on her bed, still fully clothed, her head turned away from the small lamp shining on her bedside table.

Jughead sighed. She looked as though she had cried herself to sleep as she clutched a mascara dotted tissue in her hand. He watched her for a minute, her breathing steady but heavy. She was deep in slumber and he’d never seen her look so vulnerable.

He quietly approached where she lay and gently removed her heels from her feet, setting them back in her closet before pulling a blanket over her.

Never in a million years did he think he’d be tucking in Veronica as she slept, but things these days were nothing like they had once been. It seemed as though nearly _anything_ was possible. That there was even a small possibility of finding Veronica so stunningly beautiful as she slept, that it made his heart pound a little harder.

He shook his head, not wanting to think of her that way. Not wanting to think Veronica was anything more than some rich brat that was now trying to make everyone like her again. She was still a Lodge, after all. She still had the blood of her father running through her veins, which meant she could never be fully trusted, no matter what she did to try and prove otherwise.

Jughead turned off her lamp and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him before saying goodbye to his father.

He walked outside the back of The Haven and climbed onto his motorcycle. He quickly texted Betty, telling her he wouldn’t be able to come by after all, that he had some things he needed to get done at home.

If his mother and Jellybean were really coming, he didn’t want them to think that the Jones men hadn’t been able to take care of themselves. He would give his mother a chance to make amends, but he would never let her think he needed her. Not if he could help it.

 

To be continued…

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Tell me, how is it possible for someone to look so gorgeous when she has slept in her clothes and smells like a liquor cabinet?” Came the voice of none other than Toni Topaz.

“Go away.” Veronica groaned as she dove under her duvet.

She had no idea what time it was and she didn’t care. All she knew was that she felt like shit.

Toni chuckled.

“I so wish I could, my dear. But, FP is out for the next couple of weeks and we need to have a quick employee meeting. Grab a shower. We’ll be waiting for you upstairs.”

Veronica vaguely remembered the night before when FP had told her that he would be needing to spend some time at home once his wife and daughter arrived.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Was all she had said as she’d grabbed a few beers from the refrigerator behind the bar before heading to her room where she had continued her drinking until she’d passed out.

She remembered that sometime during the night Pop had brought her a water and a few pain relievers. She sat up quickly and downed the pills and the water before taking a look around, wondering if she'd made it home with her purse.

As her eyes landed on her open closet door, she couldn’t imagine Pop had been the one to take her shoes off. And she knew it couldn’t have been herself who had done it seeing as how her heels from the night before were placed neatly next to each other at the bottom of her closet.

“ _Fuck_.” She sighed, realizing that it had to have been Jughead.

She looked over at the corkboard hanging on the wall by her bedroom door. Sure enough, a napkin was pinned to it. The napkin that had the note on it that she had given to Pop to give to Jughead.

_I hope you slept well, Princess. We'll talk once you manage to wake up from your alcohol induced coma._

_-Jug_

She hated it when he invaded her space, and she had repeatedly told him not to come into her bedroom without permission. But he never listened.

“How would anyone know to check and make sure you hadn’t drowned in a pool of your own vomit if I didn’t make sure you were still alive? We wouldn’t be able to get the stench out of here for months!” He’d told her the last time she had woken up to one of his snarky notes, and in a rage yelled at him to stop stalking her in the middle of the night.

“And it’s not stalking. It’s concern…for the well-being of my dad’s place of income.”

She would have to remember to start locking her door before she passed out. Granted, Jughead knew how to pick a lock as easily as he knew how to turn on a laptop.

Veronica showered in the small bathroom attached to her bedroom, letting the hot water roll down her back as she scrubbed last night’s makeup off of her face. She knew she should back off a little bit on the booze, but it was all for the part she was trying to play when it came to her parents. She knew if they saw her losing control that it gave her some leverage. Leverage she desperately needed in this battle she was in.

But she knew the alcohol was becoming more than just a prop in her scheme. It was becoming a crutch too. If only Archie was out of jail, she wouldn’t feel the need to drown herself in it. He would find a way to keep her from relying on anything but him.

“Maybe you rely on him _too_ much, Lodge.” She said to herself as she got dressed and combed out her wet hair.

It was true, to an extent. She used to be a lot more independent, almost too much. She could tell it bothered Archie sometimes. He was resentful of how often she tried to handle things on her own. He had wanted her to lean on him more. And when she had started allowing herself to, it had become comfortable. Almost too comfortable, to the point that she felt as though she was forgetting a part of herself.

“I can get a grip on this. I don’t need someone to help me.” She said as she gazed at herself in the mirror, determination in her voice.

She sighed as she got dressed, thinking about how much she wished she could go visit her boyfriend as he passed his time in the Riverdale jailhouse. But Mary Andrews had advised against Archie having any contact with any Lodge's for the time being.

"It's only temporary, Veronica. But in the meantime, you can write to him." Archie's mom had said when she'd broke the news to Veronica that she wouldn't be allowed to see him, not until his trial date.

It had been heartbreaking, but Veronica knew it was for the best. And she certainly knew that seeing Archie behind bars would be a lot more heartbreaking than just not being able to see him for a couple of months. She would handle it, even if she wasn't able to handle it as well as she had hoped to.

She slipped on her heels and left her room to climb the narrow staircase up to Pop’s.

“Good morning, friends!” She chirped as she entered the diner and took a seat across from Sweetpea.

“Well, well, look who _finally_ decided to grace us with her presence.”

Veronica looked over at Jughead and flipped him off.

Jughead chuckled.

“Why are you even here, Jughead? You’re not an employee of The Haven or of Pop’s.”

Jughead cocked an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you get my note? You said you had a plan that we need to go over.”

Veronica nodded.

“Yes, but I didn’t say it had to be first thing in the morning, did I?” She asked as Pop set down a cup of coffee in front of her.

“Um, _yeah_ …it’s not morning, Park Avenue. It’s 1 o’clock in the afternoon.”

Fangs, Toni, and Sweetpea chuckled at Jughead’s reply as he sat smirking at her.

“Fuck off, Jones. I need to talk to these potentially _unemployed_ people first.”

Fangs, Toni, and Sweetpea immediately stopped laughing as Jughead got up from the chair he’d been sitting in at the end of the booth.

“Have at it. I’ll just be waiting at the counter until you are done. Want me to order you a chili dog, extra chili?”

Veronica recoiled at the suggestion as her stomach rolled with nausea.

“Go away.” She growled.

But Jughead was unfazed, still smirking as he took a seat at the counter and ordered a hamburger.

Jughead had become a powerful leader in Riverdale as Serpent King, and there was a comfort in knowing that he had her back, even if he was reluctant about it. As much as Veronica loathed Jughead, at times, there was something about his presence that always made her feel safe, secure. She wondered if he made Betty feel that way too. He likely did, and in a small way, she found herself envying Betty Cooper for it. 

If she thought she could ask Betty about it, she would, but she couldn’t. The friendship between the two girls had lost some of its luster over the past couple of months. Things hadn’t really been the same between them ever since Veronica had learned of Betty and Archie’s kiss.

Betty had never apologized for it, had never explained why it had happened. Instead, she’d let Archie do all the explaining and apologizing, and it didn’t seem fair to only get one side of the whole story.

Veronica tried to tell herself that Betty was probably just embarrassed, and regretful. Maybe she didn't know how to talk about it with Veronica. Which only made Veronica wonder how they could have called themselves best friends in the first place, if they couldn't even have a heart to heart about a kiss that apparently meant nothing.

Regardless, the friendship had suffered other blows to the point that Veronica and Betty couldn’t seem to get back on an even footing with each other. Veronica’s heart went out to Betty when it came to what she was going through with her dad, but things hadn’t been much easier for Veronica either.

When it really came down to it, Veronica missed Betty, but not enough to try and make things right again. She was tired of being the one to always attempt to fix things between them.

And she just didn’t have the energy for it anymore.

\---

 

Jughead checked his phone, waiting for a text or call from his dad that his mom and Jellybean had arrived at the bus station safely. But so far, nothing.

He was on edge, and he couldn’t stand sitting around at home anymore, which was why he’d come to Pop’s.

When Pop had told him that Veronica had yet to appear from her bedroom, Jughead couldn’t help but worry. He’d called Toni immediately to go down to The Haven and check on her. He felt an obligation to Archie to make sure Veronica was alright, even if he didn't feel he was doing a great job at it. 

“I need to come by there anyway, so yeah, I’ll head over. But, Jug, I’m sure she’s fine.” Toni had said.

Regardless, Jughead didn’t feel better until Toni had verified that Veronica was alive, but not so well.

“She’s next level hungover. Watch yourself.” Toni had said once she’d sat down at the booth where he, Fangs, and Sweetpea had been waiting.

But Jughead’s relief had come in the form of sarcasm and giving Veronica a hard time for having gotten herself so wasted the night before.

“Do we need to give you an intervention?” Jughead asked Veronica when she’d finally finished her meeting with the Serpents and joined him at the counter.

Veronica glared at him.

“I don’t need anyone to intervene in what I do. I can handle myself. I know I went a little overboard last night, but I’m not going to do that again. Especially if it means you’ll stay out of my room and keep your mits off my Miu Miu’s.”

Jughead put up his hands defensively.

“Hey, I didn’t _touch_ your Miu Miu. I fucking swear to _God_.”

Veronica couldn’t help but laugh.

“ _Miu Miu’s_ , Jughead. They’re the shoes you put away in my closet last night.”

Jughead sighed.

“Oh…got it. I forgot that women’s shoe designers have the most ridiculously bizarre names I’ve ever heard.” He replied, a flush in his cheeks Veronica was sure she’d never seen before.

“So, anyway…what was this plan you mentioned in your chicken scratch note from last night?” Jughead asked before taking a long sip of his coffee.

Veronica thought back to her fuzzy conversation with her father. This was exactly why she didn’t need to be drinking so much, trying to remember the little details was nearly impossible.

“Well, I think we can actually take down Hiram, if we can break my mom first. She’s so close, Jughead. I know she would turn if I could just wear her down just a little bit more.”

Jughead nodded.

“Yeah, makes sense. How do you plan on doing that?”

Veronica sighed.

“By really upping the theatrics, make her think I’ve _really_ gone off the deep end. I'm thinking that I need to get myself arrested. She's the mayor, she doesn't want it getting out, so she has to bail me out without my dad knowing. I tell her I just wanted to be close to Archie. You know, have a total breakdown. She feels guilty and swears she'll do whatever she can to help me.”

Jughead chuckled.

“That’s pretty brilliant, actually. So what do we do once we have her on our side?”

Veronica smiled mischievously.

“She becomes our mole on the inside. She can either tell us things we don’t already know or find out something so damning that it puts Hiram away for as long as possible. She knows things, Jughead, she’s just not at the point of being willing to rat him out. I’ll be the bait. I just need you to be my backup.”

Jughead gave Veronica a wary look.

“Yeah, Veronica, I can do that. But…are you sure you’re ready to go down this path. Giving up your legacy is one thing, but going after your father and putting him behind bars…”

Veronica nodded emphatically.

“I _know_ , Jug. I know. But…I have to do this. The things my father has done...they’re wrong. And I will go down swinging if I have to if it means he can no longer hurt anyone else in Riverdale.”

Jughead believed her. As much as he sometimes wanted to be skeptical of Veronica Lodge, he often found it difficult, especially when there was so much passion and intensity in her words. She meant what she said, and he knew it.

“Okay. The king has your back.”

Veronica rolled her eyes.

“Ugh, you really call yourself that?”

Jughead chuckled.

“Wouldn’t you?”

Veronica shook her head, trying not to smile.

“Of course I would.”

Suddenly, Jughead’s phone buzzed. It was his dad summoning him home.

“I gotta go. My mom and Jellybean just got back into town.”

Veronica beamed at the mention of Jughead’s family.

“Oh, I would _love_ to meet them sometime.” She replied, hopeful.

There was a loneliness in her eyes that Jughead couldn’t ignore. He had never been one to feel sorry for Veronica Lodge, but he couldn’t help it. Her life was in shambles, and he was part of the reason why.

“Would you like to come with me? You can meet them now.” He said as he got up and pulled on his Serpent jacket. It was summertime already, but not too hot that he couldn’t handle wearing his leather.

Veronica smiled.

“I’d love that. Thank you, Jughead.”

The two walked out to Jughead’s bike around the backside of the diner. Jughead did his best to stay as hidden as possible when he was out in the daytime. He always had to watch his back, even more so after Veronica's warning from the night before. 

“Um…you’ll have to wear Betty’s helmet.” He said as he tentatively handed her the pink helmet with the crown etched on the front.

Veronica pulled it on, feeling a little bashful about wearing the helmet that belonged to Jughead’s Serpent queen, especially since she and Betty hadn’t been on the best of terms lately.

Jughead climbed onto his bike and motioned for Veronica to get on behind him.

It felt beyond strange to have her body so close to Jughead’s, and all it did was bring back the memory of the last time her body was this close to his. The night she and Jughead had shared that kiss in the hot tub of her parent’s lake house. A kiss that she thought about every so often, as much as she wished she could forget it. But she couldn't forget it, and she felt guilty every time she thought about how extraordinary Jughead's lips had felt on hers.

She shook herself from her thoughts, hoping Jughead hadn't realized how hesitant she had been all of a sudden, and braced herself by holding onto the sides of the motorcycle seat. But as soon as Jughead started the bike it lurched forward, and her arms instinctively wrapped themselves around his torso.

“Sorry!” She yelped as Jughead took off out of the parking lot.

“Relax, Veronica. Just enjoy the ride.”

 ---

 

Jughead and Veronica arrived at the trailer just as FP, Gladys and Jellybean were getting out of his dad’s truck. The size of their bags in the truck bed was an obvious indication that they planned on staying for a long time, maybe for good. Jughead didn’t want to feel the surge of hope in his chest at the prospect, but the son and big brother inside of him couldn’t help but feel a happiness he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Juggy!”

Jughead smiled as Jellybean ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

She looked so much older already at 11-years-old, and she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. The need to protect her at all costs immediately overtook him as he held her close. He’d do whatever he had to in order to keep any danger from ever coming near his little sister.

“I’ve missed you _so_ much, JB.” He sighed as he kissed the top of her head.

“Who's the girl, Jug?” Jellybean asked with a sly smile as she eyed Veronica.

But before he could answer, his mother approached. He could sense the apprehension as she looked over her only son.

“Oh Jug…you look so grown up.”

Jughead smiled at his mom. She hadn’t aged a bit, still as beautiful as always. With kind, blue eyes and her long, dark hair pulled up in a loose ponytail. Jughead had always adored his mother. Their love for books had always been their bond and he’d learned more from her than anyone.

“Hi mom.” He said as he hugged her.

She held him tight, as if she never wanted to let go.

“I’m sorry, Jughead. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” She said quietly, her voice shaky with emotion.

Jughead didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to tell her that it was okay, that he was okay, and he hadn’t needed her. So instead, he said nothing. And after he pulled away, he motioned towards Veronica.

“Mom, JB, I want you to meet Veronica Lodge. She’s a…friend…of mine.”

Gladys Jones clapped her hands together.

“Veronica! Oh my! You are the spitting image of your mother.”

A look of total surprise covered Veronica’s face.

“You know my mom, Mrs. Jones?”

Jughead’s mom nodded, a warm smile on her face as she gazed at Veronica.

“I sure do. I don’t know if you know this but your mother and I were best friends all throughout high school.”

Veronica gasped excitedly.

“You’re Gladdy Atwood? My mom has told me _all_ about you! But…she never mentioned you were Jughead’s mom.”

 Gladys nodded as a look of sadness suddenly covered her face.

“Well, she never really approved of me marrying FP. It’s one reason why we haven’t talked in so long.” Gladys replied with a sigh.

“But that’s a long story for another time.”

Jughead was still trying to process that his mom and Veronica’s mom had once been best friends when Jellybean finally chimed in.

“So are you Jughead’s girlfriend now instead of Betty Cooper?”

Jughead noticed how quickly Veronica’s face got bright pink at the question.

“Uh…no…no…your brother and I are just friends. Betty is still his girlfriend.” Veronica replied with an embarrassed smile.

Jughead noticed the way his mother and sister glanced knowingly at each other before turning back to Veronica, and he didn't like it.

“Well, come on in and I’ll make us some tea. I brought back with me some of the best herbal tea Toledo has to offer.” Gladys said as she wrapped an arm around Veronica while Jughead helped his dad with the bags.

“How was the drive back?” He asked FP once the women were out of earshot.

FP sighed.

“Tense. But…it will get better.”

Jughead nodded, understanding.

“How come you never told me about mom and Mrs. Lodge?” He asked his dad as they carried the bags up to the trailer.

FP shrugged.

“It’s been so long since they’ve seen each other or talked, I just didn’t think it was important. It’s just a part of a past that kind of…stayed in the past.”

Jughead couldn’t help but be anxious to hear more about his mom’s friendship with Hermione Lodge. He could only wonder if it would give him some insight into Hiram himself. If his mom had been best friends with Veronica’s mom, then she had to have known Hiram pretty well too. He decided he would need to investigate that further, but for now, he had to help Veronica figure out how they were going to implement their plan to break Hermione. They needed her on their side, and from the bittersweet look on Veronica’s face as the Jones family sat drinking their tea and catching up, Veronica needed her mother back.

 

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

“You’re the mayor’s daughter. Do you really think they’d arrest you?” Jughead asked as he and Veronica stood in a clearing of Evergreen Forest.

“If I’m a danger to others? Sure. Why wouldn’t they?” She asked as she put on her own, brand new, purple and black motorcycle helmet.

She had implemented the first part of her plan as soon as she’d been able to. Riding on the back of Jughead’s motorcycle a few days earlier had given her an idea that she could only see as completely foolproof.

“Now, are you going to teach me how to ride this thing or what?”

Jughead shook his head, sighing as he walked over to the bike that had recently been restored and bought by Veronica, all for the sole purpose of getting herself arrested for disorderly conduct, speeding, trespassing, and vandalism.

“Sure, but let me remind you that I am firmly against you doing donuts in people’s yards all over Riverdale. I think it’s a ridiculous, and dangerous, idea.”

Veronica scowled at him as she put on the leather gloves she had bought to go with her motorcycle riding outfit. The jeans were snug, but they felt great, and she wondered why she didn’t wear them more often as she zipped up her new black, leather jacket. She felt comfortable and ready and she prayed she would get the hang of this motorcycle thing quickly with Jughead’s help.

“Yes, you’ve made that abundantly clear. Now tell me how to start this thing.”

Veronica was well aware that Jughead was more than reluctant to help her with her plan to get arrested so that her mother would bail her out, giving her an opportunity to see how close they were to getting Hermione on their side. But he knew Veronica was going to do what she wanted, regardless of if he helped her or not.

So he told her he would feel better about her riding if he was the one to teach her how to ride in the first place. It seemed to make him feel more at ease if she was actually going to go through with her plan.

“Okay, fine. So, your left side controls your gears while the right side controls acceleration and braking. Turn on the ignition and kick start your bike on the right side with your hand squeezing the clutch.”

Veronica tried once, then twice, and finally the bike came roaring to life. The feel of it sent a thrill throughout her body. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this.

 “Okay, so now ease off the clutch until it starts to go forward, and walk the bike a little. Don’t do the throttle yet.”

Veronica awkwardly walked the bike forwards while Jughead walked along beside her.

“Doing great, Veronica. Now, pull the throttle just enough to get you going and put your feet on the pegs. Go slow but don’t stop.”

Veronica did as Jughead instructed and suddenly she was taking off across the empty field. It felt like she was flying, but she knew she wasn’t going nearly as fast as she thought.

“Oh God! I don’t know how to stop!” She yelped.

“Pull the clutch and use your brakes! On the right!” She heard Jughead yell, as if he had actually heard her even though she was several yards away from him.

Veronica applied pressure to the front and back brakes but immediately knew she hadn’t done it slow enough as she suddenly came to a skidding stop, almost dropping the bike underneath her as it jolted.

Her heart was beating frantically, and her hands shook as Jughead came running towards her.

“Are you okay?” He asked as he helped her ease the bike back up so she could put down the kickstand.

“That...was… _amazing_!!!” She squealed as her heart continued to flutter uncontrollably.

Jughead chuckled, a sound of relief in his laugh.

“Okay, I think I need to show you how to shift your gears. But…you’re doing great, Veronica. I’m…I’m actually impressed.”

Veronica was incredibly grateful for how patient Jughead was being as he continued to show her how to ride, how to make turns, shift, and stop easily without stalling out. But it was getting late, and she wasn’t ready to drive in the dark.

“Do you want to put the bike back on the truck or try to ride to Pop’s on your own?” Jughead asked as he and Veronica walked her motorcycle back to where FP’s truck was waiting.

Veronica thought for a minute. As scared as she was to go out on the busy roads of Riverdale when she’d just learned to ride, she knew it was now or never.

“I’ll ride back. No problem.” She said as she put her helmet back on.

Jughead smiled proudly.

“I’ll follow behind, just in case.”

Veronica nodded, beaming brightly. She was proud of herself too.

“Thank you, Jug.”

\---

 

Jughead wasn’t usually one to drink, but he felt a need to down a beer at The Haven in celebration of successfully teaching Veronica how to ride her new motorcycle. She wasn't completely adept at it yet, but she was well on her way.

He’d been so skeptical at first, but she had proven herself, and he knew he would do his best to try and never underestimate her ever again.

“ _Damn_ , look at her in those tight jeans. I never noticed until now what a nice ass Lodge has been hiding under all those skirts.” Sweetpea said with a appreciative grin on his face as he watched Veronica lean over the pool table to take her next shot against Toni. All while Cheryl stood nearby cheering on her girlfriend.

“Veronica is my best friend’s girlfriend. As far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t _have_ an ass.” Jughead replied as he turned away and ordered another beer.

Sweetpea chuckled.

“Whatever you gotta tell yourself, buddy. But, speaking of Archie, how’s he doing?” Sweetpea asked as he continued to watch Veronica.

Jughead sighed.

“He’s hanging in there. His mom is working hard on his case, but, if he loses, it’s juvenile detention. But we don’t know for how long.”

Sweetpea winced.

“Ugh, juvey. No fun. The last time I was in JD, I got into a fight with some asshole Ghoulie. He gave me this scar.” Sweetpea said as he pulled up his sleeve and showed Jughead a large, hook-shaped scar on his shoulder.

“Geezes, Pea.” Jughead replied in astonishment as he looked at the evidence of Sweetpea's brutal run-in.

“If your boy ends up there, it’s better he keep his head down and not get in anyone’s way. People will fuck with him, but if he reacts, he’ll have a target on his back.”

Jughead nodded.

“Noted. Thanks, Pea.”

But the thought of Archie in a situation like juvenile detention sent a cold feeling throughout Jughead’s veins. He wasn’t quite sure how his best friend would survive a situation like that without it changing him completely. The thought was unsettling, and it only made Jughead more determined to help Veronica with her plan.

He looked over at where she stood with Toni and Cheryl, smoking a cigarette and drinking a clear liquid that he would be naïve to think was just water. He hoped she would keep her promise to herself that she would take it easy with the drinking, though he knew that the partying she was doing would somehow get back to her parents, and that was all a part of her plan. The hope that the guilt over what their daughter was doing would wear them down. But regardless of if the plan would work or not, Jughead worried. With Archie in prison, and no one to look out for Veronica, he felt as though it all fell on him.

Jughead took out his phone and texted his mom.

_“Can I invite Veronica to dinner tomorrow night?”_

Within seconds, his mother texted back.

_“Absolutely.”_

Jughead sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket. He knew he had to go and see Betty. It had been days since he’d last been by to see her and she would surely be irate with him at this point.

“Keep an eye on her, but keep your hands _off_.” Jughead said to Sweetpea as he nodded his head towards Veronica.

Sweetpea gave his friend an ear to ear grin.

“You got it, boss.”

\---

 

Veronica woke up with a headache, but she didn’t feel quite as bad as she had the last time she had drank her weight in alcohol.

At least she remembered the whole night this time. And when she looked over at her corkboard, there was no note.

“Thank God.” She mumbled as she drug herself out of her bed.

After a long shower, she dressed in another pair of new jeans and a black tanktop. She had more practicing to do with learning to ride her motorcycle, but first she needed a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Ronnie.” Pop said as he slid a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

“Good morning, my sweet Pop. How are you doing?”

Pop nodded, smiling.

“No complaints. It’s a beautiful day.”

Veronica looked out the large, plate glass windows of the diner. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

“Wow, it is. I might have to take a swim at The Quarry later.”

Pop nodded.

“Sounds refreshing! But not as refreshing as these new slushies I’ve been making for the summer.” Pop said as he held up a glass full of a frothy orange and red drink.

He handed the pretty, bright beverage to Veronica for her to try.

She took a long sip of the new concoction, and she couldn't deny how good it was. She knew it would be an immediate hit among her customers.

“It’s delicious, Pop! You have my full approval to add these to the menu.”

Pop raised his hands in victory.

“Thanks, boss!” He said as he added the slushy to the daily specials chalk board.

“Ugh, you know I hate it when you call me that.” She replied as she sipped her coffee.

Pop chuckled.

“I know, but you’re good at being a boss and you should embrace it.”

Veronica nodded. She knew she had inherited her father’s business practicality, and it was about the only thing she was grateful for when it came to things he had given her. The difference was, she would only use her savvy for good, and never evil.

\---

Jughead lay in Betty’s bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wanted to leave but he wasn’t sure how he could get up and sneak out when Betty’s arm and leg were laying across his body.

He checked his phone again, but Veronica still hadn’t responded to his text about dinner.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and he dialed Pop’s.

Betty began to stir, no matter how quietly Jughead talked to Pop about where Veronica was.

“Okay. Thanks, Pop.” Jughead said before hanging up.

“ _Why_ are you calling Pop this early? Ordering breakfast to go?” Betty asked lazily as she rolled off of Jughead and onto her side.

Jughead cleared his throat, not sure how much information he should divulge to Betty about what Veronica was up to, or how she had been doing lately. He didn't want to cause anymore tension than there already was between the two girls.

“Uh…no…I was just making sure Veronica was up. She drank a lot last night.”

Betty scoffed.

“What are you? Her keeper?”

Jughead sighed as he got up and pulled on his jeans.

“No, but someone has to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. She’s been under a lot of stress.”

Betty sat up and glared at him.

“Seriously? _Veronica_ has been under a lot of stress? What about me? I don’t see you calling anyone trying to find out if I’m still alive and well.”

Jughead chuckled, not at all interested in getting into an argument this early in the morning.

“That’s because you always answer your phone, Betts.”

Betty sat up, pulling her bed sheet around her body, a serious expression covering her face.

“You know, Jug, my therapist says I need to limit as much stress as possible in my life.”

Jughead nodded.

“I agree. You’ve had a lot of shit to deal with lately.”

Betty sighed.

“She also thinks that maybe…maybe I should get out of Riverdale for a little while. Maybe go see my grandma and grandpa at their lake house for the summer. You know…to unplug, and just...relax.”

Jughead looked at her, confused.

“That’s like four hours away, Betty.”

Betty looked down at her hands. It was obvious that it had been hard for her to tell him what she was planning on doing, which was why she had waited this long to let him know. 

Jughead knew instinctively that Betty needed his support more than anything at that moment. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his.

“If you need to go, then go. I understand. I’ll miss you, but I want you to do what’s best for you.”

Betty smiled weakly as her eyes met his.

“Thank you, Juggy…you know, sometimes I feel like you are too good to be true.”

Jughead shook his head, smiling.

“Well, you know I’m trying to win that 'Boyfriend of the Year' title.”

Betty laughed, and it was good to see her smile. It wasn’t something he saw much of anymore. Not only had things in Riverdale changed so much, but things with who they were as people had changed too. Betty was no exception.

“Keep me posted on Archie, okay? I’m going to try to write to him, but I’m not sure how good that will be for my peace of mind.”

Jughead smiled as he squeezed her hand.

“You got it, Betts. And don't worry about anything while you are gone. Riverdale will be back to the boring, small town it's always been by the time school starts...I promise.”

Betty nodded as if she completely believed him. Too bad he wasn't sure he believed his own words himself.

 

To be continued...

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Okay, so, I need to click the clutch back and forth to find neutral.” Veronica said to herself as she sat on her bike in the middle of the field that had become her practice place.

She had decided to work on switching gears, she was tired of lurching while she drove and wanted a more fluid ride. And if she had to be honest with herself, she wanted to impress the Serpents, and maybe even Jughead too.

She throttled the bike and began to ride around in wide circles, shifting with her left foot and letting out the clutch slowly before shifting again. But when she would try to slow down, she was still jerking and it was making her neck hurt. She came to an abrupt stop and heard a voice behind her.

“You need to feather your throttle to match revs.”

Veronica turned to see Jughead sitting on his bike, watching her, a smug expression on his face.

“English, please.”

Jughead chuckled.

“You’re using too much throttle between gears. Lightly pull the throttle back and forth instead. That will help you transition more smoothly. Remember, you are the maestro of the bikes three part orchestra. The clutch, the throttle, and the gear selector.”

Veronica nodded.

“Thank you, Professor Motorhead.”

Jughead pulled up next to her.

“Look, you know I would love nothing more than to tell you that you suck at this and you should just give up…but, you’re actually catching on _really_ quick and I know it’s because you are determined to get your mom back. It’s...well...it's actually quite admirable, Veronica.”

Veronica wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn't remember ever having heard Jughead say something so nice to her before. But she was incredibly relieved to know that he was taking her seriously when it came to her plan.

“Well…I couldn’t do it without your help, Jug. I really do appreciate all you’ve done.”

Jughead looked down at his bike, having an equally hard time accepting Veronica’s sincere gratitude.

It was almost comical at how foreign it felt for them both when they decided to put aside the contention in order to be nice to each other.

“How did you find me here anyway?” She asked, curious as to why he had shown up out of nowhere.

Jughead shrugged.

“I called Pop, he told me you left on your motorcycle to go to The Quarry. When you weren’t there, I figured you had come here first. And you weren’t answering your phone, so…yeah...”

Veronica nodded, still not quite sure why Jughead had come looking for her in the first place.

“My mom…she um…she wanted me to invite you to come over for dinner tonight. The place is a mess because we’re going to be moving into a duplex in a few days, but she still wanted you to get a home-cooked meal.”

Veronica smiled. She was so caught off guard by the invite that she wanted to cry. It was just what she needed.

“That would be great, Jug. I’d _love_ to. And…if you don’t mind me asking…how are things going ever since your mom and Jellybean came back?”

Jughead sighed as he ran his hands through his beanie-less hair.

“It’s been…difficult, to say the least. My mom and dad still have a lot of issues to work through. Dad has been attempting to use honesty to make things right and, needless to say, my mom hasn’t been real happy about what she’s heard. She hates that I’m the Serpent King, and she wants nothing to do with meeting Betty. I don’t really understand why. Something about the Cooper family being 'bad luck'. And Jellybean keeps telling me…uh…never mind. Anyway, it’s probably a good thing that she doesn’t want to meet Betty because Betty made it clear that she cannot handle any more stress and my mom not liking her would not be good. Fortunately, I won’t have to explain why Betty can’t meet my mom since she’s leaving to go to her grandparent’s lake house tomorrow morning. I know I’ll probably miss her, but a part of me is relieved that I won’t have to cause her any more unnecessary stress by making her worry about what I’m up to. She’s been through a lot.”

Veronica tried her best to hide the look of total shock on her face as Jughead spilled his guts to her. She had never imagined the day would come when Jughead would vent to her about anything and everything that was going on in his life, and to the point where he’d barely taken a breath as he spoke.

“Fuck…I’m sorry, Veronica. I didn’t mean to…to say all of that…”

But Veronica smiled warmly at him.

“You obviously have a lot on your plate, Jug. I understand that it's really frustrating. And it’s okay if you want to talk to me about all of it. It will strictly stay between us, I promise. Besides, we’re friends, right? What are friends for if you can’t unload on them every now and then?”

Jughead grinned at her.

“Friends. It still feels strange to call you my _friend_.” He replied with a chuckle.

Veronica couldn't argue with that. It _did_ feel strange, but it was a good sort of strange.

“Hey, shit has been crazy in our town this past year. We might as well make a fair attempt at depending on each other.”

Veronica said before starting up her bike again.

“So, hey, I’ll race you to The Quarry.”

Jughead pulled on his helmet before starting up his own bike.

“It’s on, Lodge. Last one there washes the dishes tonight.”

 

\---

It was still early enough at The Quarry that not a lot of other people were there other than some kids who had dragged their parents out of bed so early that they had nothing else to quell the summer boredom than to take them swimming at the deep pool of crystal blue water surrounded by stone that had been crushed up so fine from years and years of rain water and floods that it was almost like a gray sand.

“Well, I beat you here fair and square. I’ll let mom know you’ll be helping out with cleanup.” Jughead said with a smirk as he pulled off his jeans, revealing his swim trunks underneath.

Veronica scoffed as she tried to avoid staring at a shirtless Jughead. It wasn't a site she saw often, but she appreciated it when she did, even if she shouldn't.

“Hey, it won’t always be that easy to beat me. One of these days I’ll be a fierce competitor.” Veronica replied as she pulled off her tank top to reveal her brand new lavender and black polka dot bikini.

Jughead chuckled.

“You already are.”

The two left their things on a large rock by the edge of the water before climbing up to where a rope swing hung high up in the trees.

“Have you ever swung off old Ropey?” Jughead asked as he took the rope in his hands.

Veronica cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Ropey? You named the rope _Ropey_?”

Jughead shrugged.

“I was like seven, okay? Give me a break.”

Veronica shook her head, unable to keep herself from snickering at the imagination of a 7-year-old Jughead Jones.

“Okay, okay. But no, I have never swung off of 'old Ropey'.”

Jughead smiled deviously.

“You’re in for some fun today then, Lodge. So, all you have to do is grip it tight as high as you can reach, then walk back and push yourself off of this rock. Once you swing out, right before you feel that pull back, that’s your cue to jump. Got it?”

Veronica nodded slowly.

“I think so, but, will you go first? Show me how it’s done?” She asked, hoping Jughead didn’t sense how nervous she was.

She’d been on so many airplanes she’d lost count, had skied on the most treacherous of slopes, and had lived in penthouses her whole life, but something about this particular height was a lot more frightening than she had anticipated.

“Sure. Stand back.” Jughead replied as he took the rope tightly in his hands, just like he had showed her once already.

“Just walk it back, push off, and go!”

Veronica watched as Jughead swung out so far, she could only imagine how high the tree actually hung over the quarry. It must be a monster of a tree limb, but she couldn’t see it from where they were.

“And then you jump!” Jughead yelled out to her before he let go.

She laughed with a mix of fear and amusement as he plummeted down, creating an impressive splash once he’d made contact with the sparkling water below.

Veronica caught the rope once it swung back to her and took a deep breath as she clutched it tightly in her hands, mirroring what she had just seen Jughead do less than a minute earlier.

She stepped back as far as she could go, until her foot was against the rock she would have to push off of. She took a deep breath, not wanting to do what she was about to do but knowing that backing out was not an option. She'd had to do a lot of things lately that required putting aside her fears. This was just one more thing she needed to do to add to the list.

Getting out of her comfort zone was the only way she could grow, it was the only way she would become the person she wanted to be. A person that could get by in life without a dependence on anyone but herself.

“Don’t overthink this, V, just go.” She whispered to herself.

Suddenly, she had pushed herself off of the rock and wrapped her legs around the rope. The feeling of the hot, summer air whipping around her was like a comforting hug from Mother Nature herself. It was like riding her motorcycle but even more terrifying. And the moment she knew she had to let go was the moment she felt as though the free-fall was a lot more symbolic than just some summer fun at The Quarry. It was like a rebirth from who she had once been to who she would now become as she hit the cold water and kicked her way back up to the surface.

“Holy _shit_! That was some graceful swinging!” Jughead exclaimed with a boisterous laugh as he swam over to where Veronica had landed.

“Oh my God, Jug! That might have been the most exhilarating feeling I’ve ever felt! Almost better than sex!” She said with a laugh as she floated on her back and stared up at the cloudless blue sky above.

Jughead chuckled uneasily at her comment and Veronica couldn’t help but find it incredibly sweet.

“Sorry, did I embarrass you?”

But Jughead shook his head quickly.

“No, no…it’s just…um…”

Veronica looked at him inquisitively.

“What? Are you thinking it too? That the last time we were in water together was the night you kissed me?”

Jughead gasped, feigning shock.

“ _Me_ kiss _you_? Um, I believe _you_ kissed _me_ , Princess.”

Veronica let out a laugh as she playfully splashed Jughead.

“Right. Well, how about we just say that we kissed each other?”

Jughead smirked at her, as if not quite convinced he should agree, before splashing her back.

“Fine. But you were still the one who suggested it. Man, I will _never_ forget the look on Archie’s face. It was _classic_.”

Veronica chuckled remembering that night and how bizarre it had been. But she had figured that the kiss between her and Jughead was necessary in order to clear the air between the four of them when it came to Betty and Archie’s kiss.

“You know what? Afterwards, Betty asked me if I enjoyed kissing you. There were some definite jealousy vibes going on.”

Veronica nodded.

“I figured she would be, but that wasn’t why I initially suggested it. It wasn’t about making anyone jealous, but I knew it was a possibility.” She replied, sincerely.

But if she had to be honest with herself, the kiss wasn’t just about making things even between the four of them, or even about making anyone jealous. It had quenched the curiosity Veronica had been having when it came to Jughead. She couldn’t shake it. But that was something she would never admit to anyone else, only to herself.

“So…what did you say to Betty? Did you tell her it was awful for you?” Veronica asked curiously.

Jughead chuckled as he shook his head.

“I didn’t give her a straight answer. And quite honestly, I can even really remember it anymore…you know…if it was awful or not.”

Veronica gave him a discerning grin.

“Really? Is that your subtle way of telling me that you would like a refresher, Mr. Jones?” She asked teasingly as she swam closer to him, biting her bottom lip seductively as her hands rested on his shoulders while they bobbed above the water.

She was only partly joking, certain Jughead would move away from her and make some cutting remark about her forgettable kissing skills. But instead, he smirked at her, challenging her by playing her own game.

“You don’t think I’ll call your bluff, Veronica?” He asked, his voice low as he stared at her lips, making Veronica feel something deep down that she knew she shouldn’t dare be feeling.

But as much as she knew she should back away, she didn’t want to let him win.

“Maybe I’m not bluffing. Question is, Jughead, are _you_?” She asked as she looked into his eyes, a color of blue unlike she had ever seen before.

Suddenly, she felt his hands on her hips, pulling her closer.

“Maybe I’m not either.” He replied, his voice gruff with a desire she hadn’t expected.

Her eyes widened, but before anything else could happen, there was a loud, thundering yell followed by a huge splash right next to them.

Emerging from the water was Sweetpea, followed by Fangs, then Toni, and last but not least, Cheryl.

Veronica immediately swam out of Jughead’s grasp, her heart fluttering wildly as she attempted to catch her breath.

“Well, well, what was all _that_ about?” Cheryl asked as she eyeballed Veronica.

Veronica chuckled nervously.

“What? We’re just swimming.” She replied as she dove under the water, hoping it would calm her sudden unease.

It was just a silly bluff. Nothing more. And she would tell herself that until she finally believed it.

 

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Jughead listened from the dinner table as Jellybean talked Veronica’s ear off while the two of them washed the dinner dishes.

Gladys Jones had made her famous lasagna, causing Jughead to realize just how long it had been since he’d last had it, and making him realize just how much he missed his mother’s cooking.

Veronica had seemed to enjoy the dinner with his family as well, and had kept them entertained with all kinds of stories from her life growing up in New York. Listening to Veronica talk had also seemed to put his mom and dad in a much better mood than they had been in lately, and Jughead was grateful for it.

And he found himself wanting to hear even more about the life of pre-Riverdale Veronica, but he knew Betty was wondering why he hadn't been around much lately, so it was imperative he go spend time with his actual girlfriend instead of a girl who belonged to someone else. Why it suddenly felt like an obligation, he wasn't sure, but he didn't want to allow his mind to go to that place just yet.

“Um, hey, I need to head out. Betty leaves in the morning and I need to go hang with her for a bit. Veronica, you are welcome to stay around here for a while if you want.” He said as he got up from the table and slipped on his jacket.

“Of course she can stay! Veronica said I could French braid her hair.” Jellybean chirped, smiling brightly.

“Well, she always did want a big sister.” Jughead said to Veronica with a chuckle.

“Hey, a free hairdo? Who could _possibly_ pass that up?” Veronica asked as she gave him a wink.

Jughead was glad that Veronica had become someone that Jellybean could look up to. He knew having Veronica around would really help Jellybean transition back into Riverdale life more easily. And it gave him one less thing to worry about.

But as Jughead drove his bike across town to Betty’s house, he couldn’t shake the feeling that was gnawing in the pit of his stomach. Even though it had been hours earlier, he could still feel Veronica's hips in his hands, he could still imagine every curve of her incredible body in that bikini, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the smile on Veronica’s face after she had jumped from the rope swing and into the Quarry water.

She had looked as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It had been an incredible moment for her, and he found himself feeling extremely honored that he had been there to witness it.

And then there’d been the banter about the kiss. It had been an unexpected conversation, but it was hard to avoid the elephant in the room while they were in the lake, their hair and bodies wet just like they had been that night at Lodge Lodge.

Veronica had spoken of it so nonchalantly that Jughead didn’t want her to think he was afraid to talk about it too. But he hadn’t expected it to take the turn that it had. He should have known that Veronica wouldn’t back down from his bluff. That if they hadn’t been interrupted, she would have kissed him.

The terrible thing was, Jughead wouldn’t have stopped her. And the guilt of it sat in his stomach like a stone as he pulled up into Betty’s driveway and glanced over at Archie’s house.

He shook his head, as if it would shake the guilt he was feeling.

“Why should I feel bad? Nothing happened. Nothing is _going_ to happen.” He mumbled to himself as he took off his helmet and began to walk up to Betty’s front door.

But he quickly cursed himself for speaking so absolute. How often had he been sure of something only to end up being wrong?

He sighed as he rang the Cooper doorbell, realizing that Archie being in jail and Betty leaving town could not have happened at a worse time.

\---

 

“Found out Jinx was run out of town and into Greendale earlier today. So fucked up. And now I have to pack up his shit and take it out to him tomorrow. The Ghoulies that caught him gave him a warning that if he ever comes back, they would skin him alive.”

Toni rolled her eyes as she listened to Sweetpea talk about the latest Serpent drama.

“Skin him alive? Right. I don’t think there’s even _one_ Ghoulie that has the stomach for that. Even Malachai.”

But Sweetpea shook his head.

“I’m telling you, that’s what the Ghoulies do. They’re fucking _sick_. You saw what they did to Jones. Of _course_ they have the stomach for torture.”

Veronica winced at the mention of Jughead’s near death at the hand of Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies. She’d never forget the way he looked when he was laying in the hospital unconscious, beaten and bloodied so bad that he was barely recognizable.

She hated her father for having ordered Jughead’s death, and she knew she would never be able to forgive him for it. 

“Jughead told us to all lay low. If people don’t heed his warnings, then that kind of thing is bound to happen.” Cheryl chimed in as Hog Eye handed her a tray of drinks to take to the table she was waiting on.

Toni nodded in agreement.

“She’s right. It’s why we mostly do any business we need to do at night, and why we travel in packs. Jinx shouldn’t have been alone during the middle of the day like that. That’s the easiest time for us to be found. He made himself visible _and_ vulnerable.”

Fangs shook his head in disbelief.

“Damn, T. That’s cold. What do you have against Jinx anyway?”

Toni shrugged.

“Jinx was an asshole, and you guys know it. I’m not sorry he’s stuck in Greendale now.”

Veronica sighed.

“I need a drink.” She said as she leaned over the bar and grabbed the mug of beer that Hog Eye had just poured.

“Veronica! Stop drinking all the profits!” Sweetpea yelped teasingly.

“You better hope you never get busted underage drinking. You never know when Sheriff Keller will do a raid.” Fangs added as he took the beer from Veronica and downed half of it before handing it back.

Veronica chuckled.

She was still surprised at how well she seemed to fit into the Serpent world. But once they had all realized what she had given up in order to help them, they had accepted her and welcomed her into their fold. And it didn’t hurt that she was already such good friends with Toni and Cheryl.

And even though she wasn’t a Serpent herself, she knew they would stand with her if she ever needed them, and she was beyond grateful for it.

“So, Veronica…you and Jughead looked awfully close at The Quarry. Care to divulge the juicy details?” Toni asked, a impish grin on her face.

Veronica rolled her eyes.

“Since when do you care about gossip, Toni? Did Cheryl put you up to this?” She asked as she snagged another fresh mug of beer off of a drink tray.

Toni chuckled.

“Not completely. But I _am_ curious. I know how those Jughead Jones lips can leave a haunting mark on any woman who happens to kiss them. Were you both attempting a round 2?”

Veronica could feel her cheeks getting warmer.

“We were just fucking with each other, Toni. Nothing was going to happen…I _swear_.”

But Toni gave her a disbelieving look as Fangs handed Veronica a shot glass with green liquid in it before delivering a round of sodas to Reggie, Moose, and a couple of other Riverdale football players.

“Be careful, Veronica.” Was all Toni said as Veronica watched while Reggie took a metal flask out of his back jeans pocket and poured a generous amount of brown liquid into each glass.

Normally she would be a total bitch and kick them out for drinking under age in her bar, but tonight, she was willing to let it go.

“What are you two talking about so intently?” Came a familiar voice out of nowhere.

Veronica looked up to see Jughead suddenly standing in front of where she and Toni were sitting.

Toni smiled at Veronica before turning to Jughead.

“Oh, we were just discussing what a great kisser you are.”

Veronica nearly spit out her beer at the look on Jughead’s face. His eyes went wide as his mouth dropped open. Toni always knew how to mess with him, and it delighted Veronica to no end.

He looked down at the floor before nervously readjusting his beanie.

“Ladies, please, I’ve already almost died _once_. Don’t kill me again with your flattery.” He quickly replied.

But the blush in his cheeks was unmistakable, and completely charming. Veronica realized then that denying her attraction towards her boyfriend’s best friend was futile.

“Need a drink, Jug?” Veronica asked with a chuckle before taking another long sip of her beer.

Jughead nodded.

“Yeah, I think I might need one of those. By the way, Lodge, lovely braid you have there.” He said before going up to the bar to get a drink.

Veronica smiled thinking about how excited Jellybean had been to practice French braiding on Veronica. She had done a great job, and Veronica had made sure to make a big fuss over how much she loved the new style.

Having dinner with the Jones family had been really nice, though she had sensed there was tension among the family members.

Anytime Jughead or FP brought up the Serpents, Veronica could see the disapproval on Mrs. Jones’s face. It was clear that she did not like that even though FP was retired from the gang life, he had passed the torch to his son. Not only was Jughead a Serpent, but he was in charge of them. Gladys was clearly aware of what kind of danger that brought to her only son. Veronica did her best to change the subject whenever it got tense, and thankfully, it seemed to help a lot.

“So did you find out anything about your mom and my mom while you were hanging out?” Jughead asked as he took a seat next to Veronica, a beer in his hand.

Veronica nodded.

“A little bit. Apparently they were inseparable all throughout high school. They were cheerleaders together, on the student council together, but then your mom started dating your dad. My mom didn’t like it, and of course your mom told her not to worry about it so much, that it wasn’t like she was going to _marry_ him or anything.”

Veronica paused to smile at the irony.

“But then…dad asked mom to marry him the night they graduated. Yeah, I know that part of the story. So I take it Hermione was pissed?” Jughead asked before taking a sip of his drink.

Veronica nodded.

“Yep. And your mom had asked my mom to be her maid-of-honor, but my mom refused to condone your mom marrying what she considered to be, and I quote, ‘lowly Serpent scum.’”

Jughead rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I know. How much of a bitch was my mom, right? But I guess my mom always had this goal to marry rich, to get out of Riverdale. Thus, why she chose my dad over Fred. I suppose she hoped your mother would follow her lead. When she didn’t…it ended the friendship.”

Jughead sighed.

“No wonder your parents absolutely despise me.”

Veronica shrugged.

“My parents don’t even _know_ you, Jughead. If they did, they’d feel differently about you.” She replied, realizing that the alcohol was making her feel incredibly uninhibited all of a sudden.

Jughead sat with a look of doubt on his face almost as if he wasn’t sure he could believe her.

“You really think so?” He finally asked.

Veronica smiled as she leaned forward.

“I _know_ so, Jug. If they saw you how I see you, they’d be proud to know you.”

Jughead played with the label of his beer bottle, not letting his eyes meet hers. Drinking always made her a little loose-lipped and she knew she better be careful to not say too much, to not cross any lines. But she was seeing other sides of Jughead lately, and she liked what she saw. She wanted him to know, but without it getting her into trouble.

She tried to tell herself that it was just her loneliness that was making her feel a flutter in her stomach whenever Jughead was around. She told herself that even just an innocent crush was not okay, that it was pointless, it would obviously lead to nothing, and it was a betrayal to people she cared about. Besides, Jughead was in love with Betty, and that’s how it should be. Veronica was with Archie, and she had to remain loyal to him. She owed him that.

But the sudden conflict within her was making her feel an intense amount of anxiety.

“ _Granted_  they would probably find you just as incredibly annoying as I do, but there’s no way to get around that, unfortunately.” She said quickly, doing her best to break the sudden strange tension hanging in the air between them.

Jughead chuckled.

“Whatever, Lodge. You know you want me.”

Veronica burst into a fit of nervous laughter as Jughead smiled, chuckling, and closely watching her reaction as if he wanted some evidence that what he'd said was actually true. Veronica never denied his claim, and so she knew she better call it a night before things got too honest between them.

She wasn’t sure how Jughead felt, but she knew she was dangerously close to doing or saying something that was absolutely forbidden.

She didn’t want to be like her father. She didn’t want to take something that didn’t belong to her. And she didn’t want to lose the trust of the ones she loved.

\---

 

Jughead lingered outside of Veronica’s bedroom door, knowing she was just on the other side, only a few feet away. All he had to do was knock, hope she’d let him in, and then see what happened from there.

“Go home, Jughead.”

He spun around to see Toni standing behind him, watching him closely.

“What? I was just waiting for the bathroom.”

But Toni rolled her eyes.

“You really think I’m going to believe that weak ass lie?” She asked with a laugh.

Jughead shrugged.

“I don’t know, but you could mind your own business.” He replied as he glanced back at Veronica’s door.

He couldn’t help but wonder if she was already asleep, what she even slept in. Was it revealing lingerie? Or maybe nothing at all? The thought made his pulse race. And he wondered why she had to be so beautiful, so captivating, and so exciting. It was getting difficult to stay away.

“Or you could stop being a horny asshole whose girlfriend hasn’t even left town yet and you’re already panting after your best friend’s girlfriend. Your best friend who is in _prison_ , might I add.”

Jughead scowled.

“I’m not panting after Veronica. I was just…checking on her…”

Toni put her hands on her head, clearly exasperated with him.

“Jughead! What has gotten into you all of a sudden? Veronica Lodge? Really? The girl that not even two months ago you basically straight up considered to be your mortal enemy?”

Jughead sighed as he leaned against the cinderblock wall of the diner basement. He didn’t know how he could explain it so that it made sense. He wasn’t even sure _he_ really knew.

“What changed, Jug?” Toni asked, concerned.

Jughead shook his head.

“I don’t know, Toni. There’s just this…this _thing_ …this unspoken thing between me and Veronica that’s always been there. At least, I _think_ it’s always been there. No…I’m _sure_ it’s always been there. We’ve just never before been in a position to be able to explore it. We’ve never spent this much time together before. And it’s made me… _fuck_ …it’s made me wonder if…”

His voice trailed off, afraid to say the words he was thinking.

“It’s made you wonder if you and Veronica are the ones who should be together instead of you with Betty and Veronica with Archie?” Toni asked, her voice softening as she spoke.

Jughead said nothing, only nodded. She'd known exactly what it was that he hadn’t wanted to admit out loud.

“Damn, Jug. That’s some serious shit. But what can you even do about it? Is being with Veronica worth betraying both Archie and Betty when they are going through the worst shit either one of them has ever been through?”

Jughead inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. He had to quit being so selfish. He had to quit thinking about Veronica Lodge.

“Toni, I’m drunk. Can you give me a ride home?” He asked as he started down the hallway towards the entrance of the speakeasy.

Toni didn’t say anything, only fell in step behind him, signaling to Cheryl that she would be back soon.

He felt like a fool for what he’d almost done. Thank God Toni had stopped him. Now he just had to get a grip, and remember that there were much bigger things for him to deal with. That whatever he felt for Veronica would have to be ignored, because it couldn’t lead to anything good without causing total and utter destruction for them both.

 

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Veronica flew down the streets of Riverdale as fast as she dared to go on the public roads as she raced to her practice spot at Evergreen Forest.

Tonight was the night she would put her plan into motion, literally, and being able to control her bike while whipping around corners, accelerating as she came out of a turn, was her main priority in her practice run.

When she got to the clearing, she wasn’t surprised to see Jughead already there, sitting on his bike waiting for her.

“So, you know I have to ask you _one_ last time if you are absolutely _sure_ you want to go through with this idea. It’s dangerous, Veronica.

Veronica sighed.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Jughead shook his head.

“You know Archie will kill me if something happens to you.”

Veronica crossed her arms as she scowled at Jughead.

“You are not responsible for me, Jughead. Stop worrying about what Archie will do or say. It’s pointless.”

Jughead looked away, as if he was suddenly very interested in studying the tree line along the open meadow. Finally, he spoke.

“It’s not that I’m worried about what Archie will say, Veronica. As much as it pains me to admit it, I’m worried too. If…if you were to get hurt…”

He stopped and Veronica was relieved. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to have a conversation with Jughead admitting to just how much they actually cared about each other. They were both painfully aware that potentially erasing the boundaries they’d always kept when it came to each other would lead to a flood of things that they knew they weren’t supposed to feel. Not when they were involved with other people.

She was well aware that they both knew there was something between them. Something electric and real, dangerous and intense. It had always been there, but they’d been too stubborn to admit it, too scared to unleash it, knowing it was something powerful. Knowing it was something bigger than the two of them.

And now they were teetering dangerously on the edge of opening up whatever it was that had been under lock and key ever since they’d first met. That thing that they had been ignoring. That thing that was now clawing at the surface to be released.

Veronica refused to admit that it might just be a matter of time before they could no longer fight it.

“Jughead, you’ve been a great teacher, so have some faith! Now show me how to slide out without crushing my leg with the bike.”

Veronica and Jughead went over her plan one last time, hoping they had worked it all out to the point that nothing could possibly go wrong if she just remembered exactly what to do in any kind of hairy situation she might get into while riding.

“And once you get your one phone call from jail, you’ll call me and then I’ll call your mom on her cell. I’ll come to the station just to make sure she actually shows up and not your dad instead. If it’s Hiram, I’ll bail you out before he gets to. Sweetpea is on call to create a diversion if need be.”

Veronica nodded, satisfied with that they had come up with. Now all she had to do was hope her mom was still as predictable as she’d always been and that her father wouldn’t somehow find out about it.

“I think we’re good to go.” Veronica said with a nervous smile.

As prepared as she felt, she still had butterflies in her stomach thinking about what she was about to do.

Suddenly Jughead’s hand took hers and he squeezed it lightly.

“You’ll do great, Veronica.”

It was just the reassurance she had needed, even though the sweet gesture from Jughead made her heart pound hard in her chest. His touch was disarming, and far too tempting. She quickly pulled her hand away before starting up her bike to head back home. She was incredibly anxious, and it wasn't just because of her plan.

But her mind kept going back to Jughead's encouraging words as she sat at The Haven, waiting impatiently for it to be late enough to start her drive out to the neighborhood where she would be creating her own brand of havoc. She realized that she trusted him, and he seemed to trust her too. It was feat that, at one time, she never thought she'd reach.

After what felt like forever, it was finally time to go. She put on her helmet and headed out to the parking lot to her gassed up, gleaming motorcycle.

She jumped on quickly, not allowing herself any time for hesitation as she sped out of the parking lot.

She drove up the steep hill to the fancy, Northside residential community that was much like the homes of many of her New York friends. Large, brick, colonial style homes with sprawling, green lawns and white, picket fences.

Veronica had never lived in a house. Her parents had only ever wanted to make their home in high rise apartment buildings, and Veronica often wondered what it would be like to have a backyard to run around in. To have her own swing set and slip n’ slide.

Her mother would know exactly why she had chosen this particular area of town to cause trouble. It was all about the resentment she felt for never having a normal family life. A resentment that had finally led her to cut ties with her father.

Veronica idled in front of the first house and took a deep breath.

“Here goes nothing.” She mumbled to herself as she let out the clutch and throttled the bike. She put her feet up on the pegs and bolted towards the lush grass of the palatial estate.

“Whooo hooooo!!!” She hollered as she drove around and around in large circles all over the lawn. Her tires ripping up the sod, leaving chunks of it in her wake as dirt sprayed behind her in waves.

She revved her bike as loud as she could before completing another large circle, feeling victorious in her plan when she suddenly saw lights coming on inside the house.

She yelled out one last time in the dark of night before speeding off towards the next house, where she did the same thing again. The rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins like a drug as a home owner yelled at her that he would be calling the police.

“Do it!” She bellowed at the top of her lungs.

She laughed hysterically, overcome with the thrill of all the laws she was breaking as she rode to the next house.

But she hadn’t anticipated the sprinklers that were watering the grass of the lawn that she was quickly approaching, causing a stream of water along the curb of the stone-lined street.

She tried to avoid it, knowing that her front motorcycle tire wouldn’t be able to withstand the slippery combination of water and rock at the speed she was going. But as her bike bounced up onto the wet grass, she over-corrected and began to careen toward a large, brick fence post that separated the lawn from the driveway.

The confidence and exhilaration she had been feeling just moments earlier came to a sudden halt as she got closer and closer to the one unanticipated thing that was about to end her ride of destruction to a destructive finish.

She closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle.

\---

Jughead hung around the outside of the Riverdale police station, anxiously waiting for a police car to arrive with a gleeful Veronica riding along in the backseat, cuffed and full of attitude.

But with each minute that ticked by, he was wondering what the holdup was, and getting more and more fearful as thoughts of what might have happened to her took over his worried mind. He’d tried calling her a dozen times already, but with no luck.

Finally, he headed into the police station and asked one of the officers at the front counter if any calls had been made about a motorcycle.

After clicking around on the emergency call database, the officer finally found something, much to Jughead’s relief.

“Yes, there was a residential disturbance involving a motorcycle in the River Falls area. But…hmm…looks like when a couple of our officers were dispatched, an ambulance was called as well.”

Jughead could feel his heart drop to his stomach like a stone. His head tingled with panic as he felt a sudden jolt of nausea.

“An ambulance? What the _fuck_ happened?!” He demanded as he tried to reach for the computer screen to see for himself.

But the officer put up a hand, blocking him.

“Son, I need to ask you to back up. Apparently the driver of the motorcycle was in some sort of collision and taken to the Riverdale Hospital ER. The motorcycle is on its way here to be impounded until further investigation.”

Jughead cursed as he ran out of the station just in time to see a tow truck entering the parking lot. He ran over to the driver’s side of the truck, waving his arms and yelling as loud as he could for the driver to stop.

“What in the hell are you doing, boy?” The driver asked as he rolled down his window, confused as to why a panicked kid was flagging him down.

But Jughead didn’t answer as he ran to the back to see what was strapped to the flatbed.

And just as he feared, it was Veronica’s bike, crushed along the side with the front tire missing. He felt as though he was being punched repeatedly in the gut as the memory of Veronica’s excited and confident face flooded his brain.

He ran back over to the driver.

“Where is the girl who was riding that bike?” He pleaded as he pointed to Veronica’s inoperable motorcycle.

The tow truck driver shook his head.

“I don’t know. I just pick up what I’m told to pick up. Sorry, kid.”

Jughead ran for his own bike, and jumped on, his tires squealing as he left the parking lot of the Riverdale PD and raced towards Riverdale Hospital.

When he got there, he’d barely parked his bike before running in through the sliding doors and up to the front desk.

“Do you have a patient named Veronica Lodge? Black hair? Dark eyes? Heartbreakingly beautiful?”

The nurse at the desk smiled sweetly at his description of Veronica, but he was in no mood to be considered a lovesick puppy.

“Just a second, young man, let me check.”

Jughead’s heart was beating so hard he felt lightheaded. He couldn’t stop blaming himself for what had happened. Admonishing himself for not having been a better teacher, thinking about all of the things he had forgotten to tell her about riding. Wondering why he hadn’t gone with her when she’d so stubbornly decided to go through with her dangerous plan.

Finally the nurse looked back up at him, a look of disappointment on her face.

“She was here earlier but she’s already been released. Apparently a cab took her home.” She replied, obviously feeling guilty that she couldn’t reunite Jughead with the black-haired beauty.

“What happened to her?” Jughead asked, feeling only slightly relieved that she hadn’t been injured enough to be admitted overnight.

The nurse shook her head.

“I can’t divulge that info, honey.”

Jughead thanked the nurse and left the hospital in a hurry. Next stop was the basement of Pop’s Chock-Lit-Shoppe.

\---

 

Veronica still felt jittery, even after a long, hot shower. The scrapes on her leg throbbed, but she was thankful for the pain meds the hospital had given her. Especially with how tender her forearm was to the touch. She had bruised it badly in her fall.

The whole thing happened so incredibly fast. She had made a hard hit against the brick post, sending her front tire flying off of her bike while the side scraped against the brick, her leg taking some of the brunt. At first she was surprised by how little pain she felt, aware that nothing seemed broken. But by the time she had arrived to the hospital, she was in a lot more pain than what she could handle.

She had thanked the homeowners over and over for calling for help, and she apologized for what she’d done to their yard.

“I’ll pay for _all_ damages, I promise.” She’d said as she’d been loaded into the ambulance.

“Please relay my apologies to your neighbors too.”

But she could tell the couple who had helped her, recognized her, and the look of pity on their faces had been a wakeup call.

Her plan hadn’t been foolproof at all. It had been downright foolish.

Suddenly she had felt as if she was just some lost, little girl trying to get her parents attention. Trying to get them to be different than they were. Trying to get them to be the people that she wanted them to be. People who were good, who did good things, and cared about others instead of themselves.

The other sad thing was that Jughead had been right, but she hadn't bothered to listen. The police that had showed up on the scene hadn’t even considered arresting her when they quickly realized that she was the mayor’s daughter.

“We won’t let anyone find out about this, Ms. Lodge. Don’t worry.” One of the officers had said as her motorcycle was removed from where it lay smashed and useless, awaiting a tow truck.

They hadn’t even asked her why she had been doing what she was doing. Hadn’t even scolded her for her recklessness. It was bizarre and disheartening.

Veronica sighed as she put on a clean tank top and a pair of panties, more than ready to climb into her bed to rest when she suddenly heard loud pounding on her bedroom door.

“Oh _no_ …Jughead.” She sighed.

She hadn’t been ready to face him yet, she was far too mortified with her epic fail, but she knew he had to be wondering what had happened to their plan.

As she got up from her bed, the pounding didn’t stop.

“Calm the fuck down!” She yelped as she swung open the door.

But the fierce way Jughead was glaring at her as he stood on the other side of the threshold immediately quieted her.

“What the _fuck_ , Veronica!?” He bellowed as he entered her room and slammed the door behind him.

Veronica stepped back, suddenly aware of just how angry Jughead actually was.

“I’m sorry, Jug. I know I should have called you when I didn’t show up at the police station, but my phone was lost in the accident.” She said calmly, hoping he believed that she hadn’t been avoiding him, even though she had been.

“Then why the _hell_ didn’t you call me when you were at the hospital!? I’ve been out of my _mind_ with worry! I didn’t know what the fuck had happened to you!”

Veronica knew she looked just as bewildered as he looked angry. She hadn't anticipated that Jughead would be so upset.

“I…I was going to call you in the morning. I didn’t think it’d be a big deal.”

Jughead took his beanie off, throwing it down as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“You didn’t think it’d be a big deal? So you were going to just let me worry about you all night? Thank God I went to the fucking hospital and found out you’d been released. Since, you know, you didn’t think it was a fucking _big_ _deal_ to call me!”

Veronica’s mouth dropped open as he spoke.

“You went to the hospital?” She asked, dumbfounded.

Jughead scowled as he stepped closer to her, as if he wanted her to see it in his eyes just how serious he really was.

“Fuck _yes_ , I went to the hospital. The cop at the station told me they’d called an ambulance for you. I was worried _sick_ , Veronica! I thought maybe you’d…”

He stopped himself, breathing heavily from a thought that obviously disturbed him. She wanted desperately for him to calm down, to realize that besides a few bumps and scrapes, she was fine.

“Well, I’m clearly okay, Jughead. You don’t have to worry.”

Jughead smirked as he shook his head.

“Are you fucking _serious_? I don’t have to _worry_? After tonight, I obviously _do_ have to worry. Who knows what kind of shit you’ll end up getting yourself into if I’m not keeping an eye on you.”

As naïve as she’d been to think her plan would work, as much as she could admit she’d made a bad decision, the condescending way Jughead was reacting was the last thing she needed at that moment.

“Look, Jughead, I’m not a child. I don’t need you to look after me like I’m some helpless damsel in distress. You’re not my father.”

Jughead nodded.

“You’re right, I’m _not_ your father. Because I actually _give_ a fuck about your wellbeing.”

The remark cut her deeper than she thought it would. And even though she knew Jughead was right, she also knew that he had said it with an intent to hurt her.

“Well don’t. I don’t need you to ‘give a fuck’. I can get by on my own!” She shouted as she pushed past him to get out of her room and away from him.

But before she could even reach the door, he had grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

“Let me go!” She yelped.

But Jughead had quickly slid an arm around her waist, pulling her so close to him that her arms were useless as they pressed against his chest. No matter how hard she tried to push away from him, she wouldn’t budge. He was much stronger than she’d ever known and it made her heart pound and her knees weak. Her heart wasn’t as in the struggle as it seemed.

He tipped up her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes. Veronica glared angrily at him as Jughead glared angrily back. But before she could tell him again to let her go, his mouth was on hers in a searing kiss.

She wanted to pull away, but she couldn’t. Instead, her body betrayed her as she melted into him, as her lips melted against his lips, a willing participant in what was the one thing she knew she shouldn’t be doing. The one thing she’d tried so hard to forget, to resist, but it had all been for nothing. 

Veronica was hopelessly falling for Jughead Jones.

Jughead’s lips moved to her neck as his hands explored her body, anxiously, hungrily. The desperation he had for her made Veronica so intensely hot for him that her hands began to nervously tug at Jughead’s jacket, wanting it off of him, as well as everything else he was wearing. 

In that moment, she forgot about wrong or right or anyone else. All she could think about was being with him. She had given up too easily, but fighting what she wanted seemed absolutely impossible, especially when Jughead was kissing her and touching her so good it was utterly criminal.

But before they were able to take things even further, his cell phone rang.

“ _Fuck_ …” He muttered, annoyed.

“Just a sec.” He said regretfully as he took the phone out of his back pocket and glanced at the number.

She watched as he suddenly got a strange expression on his face before looking back up at Veronica.

‘Who is it?” She asked curiously as she tried to catch her breath. Still shaken from the way they had obliterated all boundaries between them.

Jughead sighed as he handed her the phone.

“It’s your mom.”

 

To be continued...

 


	7. Chapter 7

“She wants to see me.” Veronica said as she handed Jughead’s phone back to him.

Jughead’s heart was still slamming inside his chest as he tried to focus on the seriousness in Veronica’s tone and not the throbbing bulge in his jeans and the absolute ferocious level of betrayal he suddenly felt.

“Right now?” Jughead asked, not meaning to sound as disappointed as he did.

Veronica nodded.

“She’s at her office. She told my dad she needed to work late on a project so that he wouldn’t be suspicious.”

Jughead sighed, hoping Hiram wasn’t somehow already two steps ahead of Hermione. He never underestimated Veronica’s father, not after all he had done.

“I’ll give you a ride over there.” Jughead said, not trusting to leave Veronica’s side after how worried he had been about her.

Veronica had quickly thrown on some clothes before leaving in a rush, neither one brave enough to mention the kiss that had just happened.

Instead, the two said nothing as they used the back entrance of The Haven to get on Jughead’s bike. And Jughead found himself selfishly reveling in how good it felt to have Veronica’s arms around him, her head resting on his back, as they drove towards the mayor’s office.

Kissing her had been even better than the first time. This time, they had been alone. This time, he wasn’t nervous or caught off guard or embarrassed. This time, he had put everything he felt towards Veronica into that kiss. He wanted her to know that everything he had wanted to say to her could be felt in the way he’d pressed his lips to hers, the way he’d touched her.

He had been so worried about her, to the point where he had been overwhelmingly terrified. He had known that he wouldn’t be able to rest easy until he saw her alive and well.

But when Veronica had answered the door, looking very much alive and so insanely sexy in the very little bit of clothing she had on, he was completely caught off guard. And he was so relieved that he didn’t know what to do but yell at her.

Yelling at her had been his defense mechanism. Being angry was his way of keeping himself from throwing his arms around her, to keep himself from kissing her, from telling her how much she meant to him, from telling her that he wanted her and he didn’t care that he shouldn’t.

When she had gotten mad at him for his insensitive comment about her father, he felt terribly guilty, but he couldn’t handle her walking away from him, not when he had run all over town desperate to see her face.

Like a knee-jerk reaction, he had taken her into his arms, knowing full well he should have immediately let her go. But he couldn’t. Suddenly he didn’t care anymore about what he should or shouldn’t do. He wanted Veronica Lodge, and no one was stopping him from taking what he wanted. Even Veronica herself wasn't stopping him as she kissed him back just as feverishly and wildly as he had kissed her.

And as he pulled up in front of the mayor’s office at the town hall, he wanted to kiss her again.

“I don’t know how long this will take, so I’ll have mom drive me home.” She said as she took off Betty’s helmet and handed it back to him.

Jughead sighed, hating to see the reminder that he had a girlfriend, and his girlfriend wasn’t the girl standing before him at that moment.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting around.” Jughead replied, wanting nothing more than to escort Veronica back home so he would know first hand that she was safe.

And if he had to be honest with himself, he wondered if they could possibly pick things back up from where they’d left off.

Veronica shook her head.

“I know, but you’ve had a crazy night of running all around town because of me. Go home and get some rest. And tell Jellybean to not forget our pedicure appointment.”

Jughead nodded, but there was so much he wanted to say to her.

“We need to get your bike fixed and get you a new phone as soon as possible.”

Veronica chuckled.

“Okay. Sounds good.”

Jughead gave her a crooked smile.

“Goodnight, Veronica.”

She smiled back.

“Night, Jug.”

\---

 

“Nothing will show up on any reports, anywhere. But, Veronica, I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep having things scrubbed off your record. I can’t keep trying to defend your reputation. What will it take to get you to stop all of this nonsense?”

Veronica sat in the plush, leather chair across from her mother’s large, oak desk. The last time Veronica had sat in that same chair was when Mayor McCoy had still been in office. It was surreal that her mother was now the mayor of Riverdale instead of Josie’s mom.

Veronica sighed.

“I don’t know, mom. Maybe pardon Archie or something? You know this charge against him is bullshit. That daddy created all of this just to get back at him for going against him.”

Hermione nodded.

“I know. I’m not going to defend your father about that. But my hands are tied, Ronnie.”

Veronica rolled her eyes.

“Honey, I’m worried about you. You are my only child. I keep hearing all kinds of rumors about you, and I can’t sleep at night wondering if you’re okay. Wondering if I’m going to wake up to a call like the one I got tonight, except it end up being something so much worse. What can I do to help you? I’ll do anything.”

That was exactly what Veronica had been hoping to hear from her mother. She was finally ready to concede.

“Anything?” Veronica asked.

Hermione nodded.

“Anything. Ronnie, if I have to choose sides, I choose yours.”

Veronica suddenly felt a relief unlike any she’d ever felt before. She thought her plan had failed, but not completely. Her mom was on her side, and that’s all that Veronica had been after.

“How do I know you and daddy aren’t just trying to work against me?” Veronica asked skeptically.

As if she had been expecting the question, Hermione opened up a drawer and pulled out a file.

“Because I already have something to offer you to help you bring down your father. In this file is something that will start to unravel his band of thieves.”

Veronica took the file from her mother and looked it over. The excitement of what her mother had discovered brought a huge grin to Veronica’s face.

“Mom, is this for real?”

Hermione Lodge nodded, a smile of complete satisfaction on her face for what she’d managed to uncover.

“I can stay on the inside of things. I can get more information to help you and Jughead. The day will come where I’ll have to leave your father. But hopefully that will be the day that he’s being hauled off to prison for good. And hopefully that day will be soon.”

\---

 

“Well, I guess we won’t be going to The Quarry anymore. At least, not during the day.” Fangs said as he, Jughead, Sweetpea, Toni, and Cheryl sat around The Haven.

“Fucking Ghoulies. I didn’t think they trolled that area. It’s barely within Riverdale city limits. And it wasn’t even daytime. I heard it happened at sunset.” Sweetpea added as he pounded his fist on the table the group of Serpents were sitting at.

Jughead shook his head in disgust. Toni had called an emergency meeting to inform them all that another Serpent and his Serpent girlfriend had been confronted by a group of Ghoulies and told to leave Riverdale immediately or suffer the consequences.

It was becoming a more regular thing for the Ghoulies to assert their power over the town all because of their backing from the Lodge’s and their leadership from Penny and Malachai.

“If the Serpents aren’t even able to go out at night anymore, if we’re forced to go even further into hiding, then what’s the point of staying in Riverdale?” Cheryl asked, clearly annoyed with what she was hearing.

“Because this is your home, and you shouldn’t have to be run out of it.” Veronica said as she suddenly entered the speakeasy with a file folder in her hand.

Jughead’s pulse raced at the sight of her. He had barely slept the night before, unable to stop thinking about her, and their kiss.

“What’s that?” Toni asked, eyeing the folder.

Veronica smiled as she took a seat.

“This is something that will put a stop to all of this Ghoulie bullshit.” She began, smiling devilishly as she opened the file folder.

“Apparently Penny and Malachai run the Ghoulies as a team. They’re both on my father’s payroll. Thing is, the fake blonde bitch is making a significantly larger amount of money than that walking piece of Ghoulie filth. Their contracts with my father state otherwise.”

Jughead immediately understood what Veronica was getting at.

“So you’re saying there would be some trouble in henchmen paradise if Malachai finds out he’s getting stiffed on his evil villain paycheck?”

Veronica nodded as her gaze landed on Jughead, causing his heart to pound.

“What, so, we’re supposed to team up with the Ghoulies against Peabody and Lodge? Fuck the Ghoulies and fuck Penny and your dad. I’mt working with those cannibalistic assholes.” Sweetpea growled as he stood up to leave.

But Veronica stopped him.

“Wait, Sweetpea. Listen to what else I have to say.”

Sweetpea scowled as he reluctantly sat back down to listen to the rest of the information Veronica had gotten from her mother.

“We don’t have to team up with the Ghoulies, but we can agree to live in peace within Riverdale if they stop working with my dad and join forces with us until we can get more on my father to get him put in prison. Sometimes you have to team up with your enemies to face an even greater enemy.”

Toni looked at Veronica, confused.

“But even if Malachai ditches working for your dad over the pay thing, how do we know he’ll be cool with the Serpents?”

Veronica smiled.

“Because my mom is the mayor, and if they don’t keep the peace and help us, she’ll have them all arrested on drug charges. Either way, we win.”

The Serpents looked around at each other, not sure if what they were hearing was too good to be true or not.

“Wait, so how do we know that Malachai will even care that Penny was being paid more?” Fangs asked.

“Have you _met_ Malachai?” Toni interjected.

“That guy has a Kanye sized ego. And he’s all about getting what’s his.”

Veronica nodded in agreement.

“Plus, my mom will offer a one time, lump sum payment of unused campaign funds that my dad had put into as secret account for himself. He seems to actually think my mom is stupid enough to not question where so much of the money that was raised for her mayoral race went to. But she did some digging and found the account. So the Ghoulies will basically get to go back to living their life as usual and being paid for it, as long as they no longer work for my father. If they pass that up? They’re idiots. It’s either my mom’s deal or jail.”

Jughead couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The plan Veronica and her mother had come up with was incredible, and it meant that the Serpents were allowed to go back to living a regular life.

But there was one thing that was bothering him about the whole thing.

“So who’s going to go talk to Malachai? If your mom is still pretending to be working with your father, she obviously can’t risk it.”

Veronica gave him a weak smile.

“That would be me. I’m the negotiator.” She replied, nervously.

Jughead could feel the hairs prickling up on the back of his neck. He didn’t at all like the sound of that.

“So when is this whole thing going down?” Sweetpea asked, still riled at how much he loathed the idea of living in peace with the rival gang.

Veronica glanced at her watch.

“I’m actually about to head out now.” She said as she got up from her chair.

Jughead stood up too.

“Do you need a ride?” He asked, knowing that Veronica was still without transportation.

She gave him a strange look, as if she was hesitant to take him up on his offer.

“I was going to take a cab, but…sure. Thank you, Jughead.”

The rest of the Serpents wished Veronica luck before she and Jughead left The Haven and out to his waiting motorcycle.

Jughead climbed on the bike and started to put on his helmet when he noticed that Veronica hadn’t yet gotten on behind him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as he put down his helmet and looked up at her.

Veronica gave him a bashful grin, looking unusually pensive all of a sudden.

“Are we…are we going to talk about last night?” She asked him as she fidgeted with the strap on Betty’s helmet.

Every muscle in Jughead’s body tensed up at the mention of what had happened between him and Veronica. He’d been thinking about it all day, and apparently she had been too.

“Are you upset that I…kissed you?” He asked anxiously, not sure if he wanted to hear her answer, no matter what it would be.

Veronica shook her head.

“No. Not at all. But…”

Her voice trailed off and Jughead knew immediately what she was trying to say.

“It was wrong.” He said, trying his best to make his words sound convincing.

But it was hard to believe something was wrong when it had felt so incredibly good.

“We shouldn’t have let it happen. But…it did. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I didn’t like it, Jughead. It was… _amazing_. But it was selfish.”

Jughead nodded.

“It was selfish as fuck, Veronica. But I don’t regret that I kissed you. Kissing you is all I ever seem to think about lately. But…you’re right. We can’t go there again.”

Veronica sighed.

“Well…I’m glad we both are on the same page.” She said as she put on Betty’s helmet.

She climbed on the back of Jughead’s bike and wrapped her arms around him. It was Jughead’s guilty pleasure, and when she rested her head on his back the way she always did, his heart ached.

Agreeing to do the right thing was going to be harder than he thought.

 

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

“I’m going to kill him. But not before I kill her.” Malachai seethed as he sat across from Veronica inside the Whyt Wyrm.

She had just told the leader of the Ghoulies everything about her father’s payroll situation between Malachai and Penny Peabody. Malachai was incensed with the news and ready to go full on berserker over it, just as Veronica had hoped, and she used his anger to her advantage.

“You can kill her if you want, Malachai. I won’t stop you. In fact, I’d like to get a chance to punch that bitch right in the face for what she did to Jughead. I'd like to punch you too, for your part in it. But as far as my father is concerned, killing him will only make him feel like some kind of warped martyred hero. Making him rot in jail? _That’s_ the way to make his life a living hell.”

Malachai nodded.

“I’m listening, Doll Face.”

Veronica relayed everything to Malachai that she had just told the Serpents earlier at The Haven. She stayed confident in what she said, with no breaks in her poker face. She needed Malachai to be on board, and she knew that was easier said than done.

And it was imperative that Malachai not have any idea of Hermione Lodge’s involvement. This all had to come from Veronica, and then her father would know she was playing hardball, that she was not to be underestimated.

He’d wonder how Malachai found out. He’d think that Veronica had somehow gotten Penny to admit how much she was being compensated. He’d wonder if Veronica had been snooping around the Pembrooke in his absence. But he would never know that Hermione knew anything, at least, not yet. Her mother was a fantastic actress when it came to playing her father. Veronica was counting on her mother to act just as shocked as Hiram would actually be.

“So, what do you think?” Veronica asked coolly as she cocked an eyebrow at the Ghoulie leader.

Malachai said nothing at first, only studied her carefully as he sat back in his chair.

“I think that before I agree to anything, that I need some insurance. You know, just to make sure you aren’t fucking around. To make sure you don’t plan on screwing us over with your Serpent buddies.”

Veronica could feel the unease flooding through her veins. Malachai wanting something extra in return was not something she’d planned on.

“What more could you _possibly_ want, Malachai?” She asked him, not letting him see how shaken she was.

He grinned at her in that sinister way that made her skin crawl.

“I want you to be a Ghoulie. Be my co-leader. Not only will that help the rest of us trust you, but it would force the Serpents to trust _us_.”

Veronica suddenly felt nauseous, but she stayed stone-faced and unfazed.

“You seriously think binding me to you and the Ghoulies like this is some kind of 16th century royal treaty between two monarchies is the way to go about acquiring trust?” She asked, hoping there was some way to talk Malachai out of such an absurd idea.

Malachai chuckled.

“It worked for France, and England, Scotland, Spain…want me to keep going?”

Veronica shook her head.

“It’s a ridiculous idea.” She replied, her nausea continuing to plague her.

Malachai shrugged.

“Well, it’s the only way you’ll get your deal, have a chance to watch Penny Peabody die, and keep your father alive.”

Veronica sighed. She didn’t know what other choice she had. She understood where Malachai was coming from, and his request would also benefit the Serpents too.

So she stuck out her hand to shake Malachai’s, sealing their agreement.

She tried not to dwell on how much she loathed the idea of being a Ghoulie, and instead focused on what she and her mother had just done to help begin getting things back to normal in Riverdale.

And now she was one step closer to bringing down her father. He no longer had his army behind him and he was about to lose two of his biggest assets in his game.

“What’s that?” Jughead asked as Veronica walked out of the Whyt Wyrm carrying something in her arms that she was not quite ready to even look at.

“It’s the only way I was able to seal the deal with Malachai.” She said as she took the leather jacket and pulled it on.

The look on Jughead’s face was like a knife to her heart.

“You’re...a _Ghoulie_ now? You _do_ remember that Malachai tried to kill me, right?”

Veronica nodded, forcing herself to put on a brave face.

"I know, Jughead. I'm sorry. I was just...it was the one thing he requested. But...I can handle it." She replied, not wanting to look him in the eyes.

“What, are you like _betrothed_ to him now?” Jughead asked, his jaw clenched.

Veronica sighed, frustrated. She knew Jughead was beyond disappointed in her, but she didn't need anymore grief than she already felt. 

“Hell no! He didn’t ask me to be his Ghoulie queen. He’s not _that_ daft.”

Jughead glared at her.

“Are you saying that I was a dumbass for asking Betty to be my Serpent queen?” He asked defensively as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m certainly not saying it was the _smartest_ move on your part.” Veronica replied, glowering at him as she spoke.

“Smart? Seriously? After all the stupid shit you’ve done in the past 24 hours you’re going to accuse _me_ of not being smart?”

Jughead’s words stung, but there was something about their combativeness with each other that she thrived on. It made her feel as though she hadn’t lost her edge. That she was still the strong woman she worked so hard to be.

“I may do some stupid shit, but at least I don’t bring my clueless significant other into it because I’m too afraid to handle shit on my own.” She shot back.

The look on Jughead’s face made it clear that her words hit him where it hurt. Served him right after the insults he’d thrown her way lately, she thought to herself as she avoided the heated look on his face.

“No, your pea brain of a boyfriend just brings himself into it, and you get to emasculate him in the process.” He replied with an accusatory edge to his voice that made her spitting mad.

“Oh fuck you, Jughead. I never emasculated Archie. My father did.” Veronica replied, but she quickly realized how foolish she sounded.

“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Princess. Besides, what I do when it comes to my relationship with Betty is none of your business anyway.” He said as he started up his bike.

“Thank God for that. I wouldn’t want to die of boredom.”

The two glared at each other before Jughead finally spoke.

“Are you getting on or what?” He asked before revving his bike angrily.

Veronica shook her head.

“I’d rather walk.”

Jughead shook his head, fuming at her refusal to get on the bike.

“Fine.” He finally said.

And with that, he sped off into the night leaving Veronica standing alone in the parking lot of the bar where she would now be spending a lot more time in, though reluctantly.

She walked back inside and took a seat at the bar. And without even asking, a beer was placed in front of her.

“Doll Face, we leave to get Penny in an hour. You in?” Malachai asked as he approached where Veronica sat.

As mad at she was at Jughead, she knew she could never be mad enough at him to not seek revenge on the person who had cut him up and left him for dead. When it really came down to it, she knew she would do anything for Jughead. It was why she was now a Ghoulie.

“I’m in.” She replied before taking a long sip of her beer.

“I’m _so_ in.”

\---

 

Jughead sat at The Haven, his arms folded in anger as he stared at his beer.

“Why are you sulking?” Toni asked as she took a seat across from him.

Jughead grimaced.

“I’m not sulking.”

Toni chuckled.

“You _clearly_ are. Let me guess, your sulk session is likely caused by a certain black haired babe with balls bigger than all the Serpents combined.”

Jughead gave Toni an annoyed look before sitting up to gulp down his beer.

“I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Jughead slammed down his empty glass before sitting back in his chair.

“She basically said that I was stupid for asking Betty to be Serpent queen. Can you believe that?”

Toni balked at his words.

“Ouch. She’s an honest one, huh?”

Jughead gave Toni a surprised look.

“Please don’t tell me that you actually agree with her!”

Toni gave him a sheepish grin.

“I mean, Jug…be honest with yourself here. Betty never really fit in with us. She never really made much of an effort. She seemed more interested in the Serpents because…well…because of you. The rest of us, she could take or leave. Mostly leave.”

Jughead started to argue, but quickly realized that Toni was absolutely right. Betty had never been a real asset to the Serpents. Sure, she had done a few helpful things, but they had mostly been helpful to Jughead, not the gang as a whole.

When he really considered it seriously, Betty hadn’t actually earned her right to help him lead. She barely knew anything about what it meant to be one of them in the first place. Most of that was his fault, but the Serpent world was his world. That didn’t mean it had to be Betty’s too.

“Fuck…maybe you two are right.” He finally conceded.

As much as he hated to admit when he was wrong, he knew this time it was vital he be honest with himself.

“But…Toni…that’s not even the real reason why I’m in a shitty mood.” He said with a heavy sigh as he ran a hand over his face wearily.

Toni sighed.

“What? It gets worse?”

Jughead nodded.

“Yeah, so…when Veronica made her deal with that asshole Malachai, he only had one request. Well…not a request, but a sort of need for total assurance of our good faith.”

Toni suddenly got a panicked look on her face.

“Oh God… _what_ , Jughead? What did she agree to?”

Jughead shook his head, still unable to believe what Veronica had told him.

“She agreed to be a Ghoulie.”

\---

 

Veronica walked into the almost deserted speakeasy in the wee hours of the morning. The bar was essentially closed except for a few regulars they gave some leeway to.

“There you are! I’ve been worried _sick_! You seriously need to get a new phone, Lodge.” Toni said as Veronica took a seat at the bar and motioned for Hog Eye to pour her a glass of her usual.

“Oh? Did Jughead tell you how he deserted me at the Whyt Wyrm?”

Toni nodded.

“Yes, amongst other things. Like how the _hell_ did you allow yourself to agree to anything Malachai asked of you? The deal you gave him was fair enough as is.”

Veronica shrugged.

“What can I say? He didn’t trust us. But now he will.”

Toni gave her a concerned look, but smiled.

“You really are a saint, Veronica.”

But Veronica shook her head.

“I’m not. I’m just trying to do whatever I have to in order for life to get back to some semblance of normalcy around here. And we’re well on our way.”

She paused for a moment, taking a long sip of her drink before looking at Toni.

“We eliminated an enemy tonight, Toni. Penny Peabody is…well…let’s just say, she won’t be bothering anyone _ever_ again.”

Toni’s mouth dropped open in horror.

“Veronica…you didn’t…”

Veronica chuckled despairingly.

“Oh, I got a few good hits in. For you, for Jughead, for all of the Serpents. But, I wasn’t the one to deliver the final blow.”

Toni grabbed Veronica’s drink and downed the rest of it.

“Holy _shit_.” She said softly, obviously finding Veronica’s news concerning Penny's fate a little bit hard to digest.

“Yeah…so…needless to say, I’ve had quite an evening. I plan on getting drunk now. Please do not give me any shit for it.”

Toni shook her head.

“I won’t. I promise. If there’s any night where you should be getting drunk, it’s tonight.”

Veronica sighed.

“Oh, and one other thing, Jughead and I made out last night. Add that to the list of my sins from the past 24 hours.”

Toni chuckled.

“I think making out with Jughead is the least of your worries for now. But we can talk about it more later. Go ahead and enjoy getting trashed. Just keep a bucket by your bed for safety sake. And tomorrow, go buy a new phone.”

Veronica nodded as she signaled to Hog Eye for another drink.

She had to get the sound of Penny’s bloodcurdling screams out of her head, and then start to think of how to get her mom out of the Pembrooke so they could continue with the next phase of their plan.

\---

 

It was early the next morning when Jughead heard the roar of a motorcycle in the driveway of the three bedroom duplex his family had just recently moved into.

The new space had definitely seemed to ease some of the tension between his mom and dad, and it was nice to see the two of them beginning to make a real effort to get their marriage back on track. They hadn’t said much about it, but Jughead knew that his parents were looking into seeing a counselor together. As much as his dad would loath the idea of telling anyone about his personal thoughts and emotions, he knew that FP was willing to do whatever he had to in order to keep his family together.

It gave Jughead a peaceful feeling that he hadn't had in a long time, and one that he needed more than he had realized.

A sudden knock on the front door pulled Jughead out of his thoughts as he went to go answer it.

He couldn’t hide the look of surprise on his face when he opened the door to discover Veronica standing on the stoop looking like a smoke show in her new leather jacket and a pair of skin tight black jeans, her hair wavy from the dewy morning air, her lips as red as a rose. He was completely captivated by her.

“Uh…hey.” He finally managed to articulate, feeling like an idiot for how obvious he was being.

“Hey…is Jellybean ready? We have plans today.”

Jughead could tell immediately that Veronica was still angry about their fight the day before, and he couldn’t help but be amused. If she was trying to get back at him by looking as hot as the summer sun, she had done an excellent job.

“I’ll go check, but before I do, maybe we should talk?”

Jughead wished he could see her eyes, but Veronica wore a pair or aviator sunglasses, as though she purposefully didn’t want him to be able to read her. That, or she was hungover. Or maybe it was a little bit of both.

“Talk about what?” She asked, her arms still folded over her chest in defiance.

“Like, for instance, where did you get that bike? That’s not yours.” Jughead asked, suddenly realizing that the motorcycle Veronica had arrived on wasn’t her own.

He could feel his blood starting to boil knowing what her answer would be before she even said it.

“Malachai has several bikes. He let me borrow one until mine gets fixed.” She replied nonchalantly.

Jughead clenched his hands into fists.

“Are you fucking _kidding_ me? You’re riding his bike? I could have gotten you a loaner, Veronica. You didn’t have to ride one of his.”

Veronica shrugged.

“He offered, so I took him up on it.”

Jughead glared at her.

“Oh, so if he offered to fuck you would you take him up on that too?”

As soon as he had said it, he regretted it. But there was no going back now.

He watched as the corners of Veronica’s mouth turned down as if she was about to cry. Veronica Lodge crying was a rarity, and for him to be the cause of her tears made him want to rip his still beating heart out of his chest and offer it up to her as a sacrifice for what an asshole he was being.

“Could you just go get your sister for me please?” Veronica asked, quickly regaining her composure

Jughead wanted to apologize, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. He had let his jealously get the best of him, and in that moment, Veronica would not be sympathetic to how sorry he was. 

So he went inside the house and let a very excited Jellybean know that Veronica was there to spend the day with her while he went to his bedroom and called his girlfriend, the person whose feelings he _should_ be more concerned with over anyone else’s.

But as he spoke to Betty, his mind was elsewhere, full of thoughts about a girl who was shaking up his whole world, made him angry as hell, and who he was falling hard for whether he wanted to or not.

 

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Veronica sat in her mother’s office talking in hushed tones about how they were going to get her out of the Pembrooke and into a secure place once her father found out that he was losing control of everything he’d schemed so ruthlessly for.

“He has no idea about Penny or Malachai yet. But it’s just a matter of time until he discovers that the campaign fund account has been cleaned out.” Hermione said as she nervously sat on the sofa of her office, a glass of red wine in hand.

“Don’t worry, mom. I have Toni and Cheryl looking into securing a safe house for you. There will be a few Ghoulies on guard duty as well as your own security. Even if daddy _does_ find you, he won’t be able to get to you. I promise.”

Hermione shook her head in disapproval.

“I still can’t believe you joined that vicious group of thugs without talking to me first. What does Jughead have to say about it?”

Veronica sighed.

“He’s not happy about it either. But trust me, it’s for the best.”

Hermione put a hand to her forehead, obviously on edge with the realization of how drastically her life was going to change, and very soon. Veronica couldn’t help but be concerned that her mother may not have the stomach for this new way of living. The no longer being under Hiram’s thumb. The no longer being at his beck and call, taking part in his dirty work.

“Are you sure you still want to go through with this, mom? If you want to back out, you can. No harm will come to you from the Serpents _nor_ the Ghoulies.”

Veronica knew her mother was struggling, and it made her realize that her mother wasn’t quite as strong as Veronica had always given her credit for. The fear of no longer being Hiram’s right hand and what it would mean, after so many years of helping him conspire and plot to do things that were dangerous and risky, was a reality she was having a hard time embracing.

But she looked up at her daughter, straightening her back and taking a deep breath.

“I’m _not_ going to back out, Ronnie. I’m in this with you. I just might need you to be strong for both of us for a little while. I can’t believe all you have been through, and I look at you and I’m just…it’s unbelievable. You are a remarkable young woman, and I am _so_ _proud_ that you are my daughter.”

Veronica could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Tears that had so often tried to get the best of her, but she’d never let one single tear fall down her cheek.

But sitting with her mother now, alone in her dimly lit office, she could no longer contain them.

Hermione held Veronica while she sobbed, tears streaming down her face and onto her mother’s silk blouse.

“I’m so sorry, mija. You are far too young to have gone through so much.”

Veronica said nothing, only quietly let the tears continue to fall as she thought about all the things she had dealt with recently, things that had been the stuff of nightmares. She refused to feel sorry for herself, she just wanted to keep going, to keep fighting. 

But the hardest fight of all was the one involving Jughead.

What she felt for him was more powerful than she had expected, and knowing that she couldn’t do a damn thing about it was agonizing.

She wasn’t sure when or how it had happened, but it was there. And all she had managed to do was piss him off and fill him with unnecessary guilt.

The only option would be to stay away from him as much as possible. But she didn’t want to and she didn’t know if she could. It was her own war within herself that she knew she would lose.

\---

Jughead watched as Veronica walked through The Haven and straight to her room. She hadn’t even glanced in his direction.

It was crushing.

He tried to act like he didn’t care, but he could feel Toni’s eyes on him.

“Don’t, Toni. I’m not in the mood for a lecture.”

But Toni only chuckled.

“If I gave _you_ a lecture, I’d have to give one to every guy in this room that couldn’t take their eyes off of the Ghoulie Queen.”

Jughead scowled at his best friend.

“Don’t call her that.” He growled.

Toni put her hands up in defense.

“Touchy, touchy. My bad, Jug. I didn’t know you were still so pissed about it.”

Jughead sighed.

“I’m not…fuck…I don’t know what I am anymore.”

But before Toni could even talk to him about his latest need to brood, he noticed fellow gang members beginning to part as someone walked through the crowded speakeasy towards where Jughead was stationed.

Suddenly, he was being approached by none other than Malachai himself. Jughead stood up to face him head on.

“I know we’re supposed to be under a ceasefire and all, but what the hell are you doing here?” Jughead seethed, as he took off his beanie, readying himself for a round two with the Ghoulie leader if need be.

Malachai put up his hands in surrender while two other Ghoulies flanked him.

“I come in peace, Jones. I come in peace.” He said as he smirked at Jughead and Toni.

But Jughead couldn’t help but take out his knife, keeping it concealed in his hand in case he was going to end up needing it sooner than later.

“What do you want, Malachai?” Toni asked as Sweetpea and Fangs approached, taking their places alongside Jughead.

“I came to tell the Serpent King that I am taking our deal seriously. Doll Face Lodge is quite the negotiator. Beauty and brains are the two qualities I love most in a woman.”

Jughead clenched his fists, but Toni’s sudden hand on his shoulder reminded him to keep himself in check.

“The fact that she was willing to become a Ghoulie in order to ensure peace among our two gangs is a move that comes with my deepest respect. She’s an amazing girl, Jones. Is she yours?”

Jughead wished to God he could say yes, if anything, so that Malachai wouldn’t think he could have her. Just the thought of Veronica being involved romantically with a drug dealing lunatic like Malachai was enough to make him sick to his stomach.

Jughead shook his head, not able to utter the word no at Malachai’s question.

“That comes as quite a surprise considering how much of a fuck she gives when it comes to you. It was pretty undeniable when she knocked Peabody’s lights out the other night after telling the traitorous bitch how much she hoped she enjoyed hell once she got there.”

Jughead was taken aback. He hadn’t heard anything about the Ghoulie altercation with Penny Peabody.

“What are you talking about?” Jughead asked the Ghoulie leader before glancing over at Toni.

Toni shrugged, giving him an apologetic look. Jughead knew immediately that she had known about Penny's demise, but hadn’t told him because of Veronica’s involvement.

“Oh, Doll Face didn’t tell you? Yeah, we took care of Peabody. She’ll no longer be a problem for any of us, especially the Serpents. And, I want to tell you that I am sorry for what we did to you, Jones. And I understand that telling you that I’m sorry will never be enough to undo what has been done. But, as a peace offering, I wanted to give you this.”

Malachai motioned for one of his fellow gang members to hand him whatever it was he had brought for Jughead.

A clear, plastic bag was placed in Malachai’s hand, which he then handed to Jughead, smiling victoriously.

Jughead looked at the bag, and quickly discovered that he could clearly see the contents without even opening it.

Inside the bag was a lock of blonde hair. The same dirty blonde color of Penny Peabody’s.

“Holy shit…” He heard Sweetpea mutter as he looked over Jughead’s shoulder.

“The bitch is _dead_.”

Jughead knew he should feel horrified by what he was looking at, but that was something the old Jughead would have felt. The Serpent King had no pity for the former owner of the blonde piece of hair he held in his hand. Instead, a flood of relief hit him like a ton of bricks and he couldn’t hide the grin that formed on his face from ear to ear.

He held out his hand to shake Malachai’s.

“I accept your offering. Thank you.”

\---

 

No one seemed to notice that Veronica had been watching the whole thing that had gone down between Malachai and Jughead in the middle of the speakeasy. But she had known Malachai was coming to offer the piece of Penny’s hair to Jughead as a symbol of goodwill.

And she couldn’t help but be extremely nervous over how Jughead would react to the news of Penny Peabody’s death.

The whole thing was totally legit, and had been thoroughly planned out between Veronica and Malachai.

She had told him how important it was for him to put aside his extreme methods and attitude in regards to his gang lifestyle and act civilized for the time being.

Surprisingly, Malachai had agreed, and she realized just how much he seemed willing to bend to her influence. He had a respect for her that she hadn’t anticipated, but it was useful to her, and it gave her confidence that she could defeat her father once and for all.

The only thing she hadn’t planned on during the show of comradery was Malachai asking Jughead if she was his girlfriend.

It had stunned her, but she’d watched closely as Jughead shook his head no. She had seen the tense look on his face, and she secretly hoped that it was because he hated having to deny her as his.

As much as she thought she could cry at the way it made her feel to know she really wasn’t his at all, in any kind of way, she had no more tears left. She’d left them all behind at her mother’s office.

Crying was something she just didn’t have time for any longer.

It would be just a matter of time before her father discovered everything that had happened lately. Malachai had informed Veronica that Hiram had tried to reach him twice already, but he’d managed to put him off.

“He’s going to come sniffing around eventually.” Malachai had said.

Veronica knew he was right, but she needed just a little more time to get her mother taken care of before she was ready to let her dad know that his downfall was eminent.

In the meantime, she was glad there was finally real peace among the Serpents and the Ghoulies. It was one victory worth celebrating.

But while the rest of them toasted to their agreement to keep the peace, she opted to keep a low profile for the night.

Her heart was aching, and she just wanted the comfort of sleep to make her forget for a little while.

\---

 

Jughead looked around the buzzing speakeasy as Ghoulies and Serpents alike celebrated with each other. It was surreal, and it was all because of Veronica.

He had been watching for her, waiting for her to join them, but there had been no sign of her. As happy as he was to know that Penny Peabody was dead, it didn’t feel the same to celebrate without the woman who had made it all happen.

“She really is amazing.”

Jughead turned to see Malachai standing behind him, almost as if he knew exactly what Jughead was thinking about because Malachai had been thinking it too.

“That she is.” Jughead replied.

“You know, if I thought I stood a chance with her, I’d go for it. A girl like that…they don’t come around often.”

Jughead nodded as he looked at the other gang leader.

“Are you asking my permission to date Veronica? Because if you are, I’d say hell no. Besides, she has a boyfriend.”

Malachai chuckled.

“Yeah, I know. The redheaded jockstrap, right? I thought maybe she had ditched him seeing as how she talks about you way more than him.”

Jughead couldn’t stop his heart from racing, as much as he didn’t want to believe a word Malachai had to say, the mention of Veronica was enough to make him lose control over his heart.

“So…what? Are you trying to play matchmaker now? I didn’t know that evil incarnate even knew what love was.”

Malachai shook his head, grinning.

“Oh come on, man. I know I’m a little intense, but I still have fucking feelings. Veronica Lodge is unlike any other girl either one of us has ever known. You know it, and I know it. And she might be with Red, and you might be with Ponytail, but that doesn’t mean shit. That girl is ride or die, Jones. And girls like that don’t come along every day.”

Jughead could hardly believe he was having this conversation with Malachai of all people. But everything he had said had been true. Jughead couldn’t deny it if he tried.

And it wasn’t long before he found himself outside of Veronica’s room, trying to talk himself out of checking to see if her door was locked.

He had more reasons to walk away, more reasons to just leave and go home. But there was the one reason why he couldn’t.

And that one reason was on the other side of the door he was standing in front of.

Finally, Jughead placed his hand on the knob and turned it slowly. To his surprise, it was unlocked.

He opened the door quietly and closed it behind him before locking it.

He sighed as the the light from the bathroom spilled into Veronica’s room just enough so that he could see her sleeping soundly in her bed. It had only been a couple of hours since he’d seen her walk through The Haven but it felt like he hadn’t seen her in weeks.

Jughead walked over to the side of her bed and took off his jacket, laying it on a chair nearby before sitting down beside her.

He watched her for a few minutes, completely entranced by how beautiful she was. As much as he didn’t want to wake her, he knew he had to. He couldn’t go another minute without her knowing what he wanted.

Jughead's heart thumped hard as he leaned down, letting his lips brush hers so gently that she barely stirred. He kissed her cheek, then her forehead before going back to her soft lips, where he kissed her again, and then again.

Finally, she spoke.

“Jughead…” She sighed without even opening her eyes.

Her hands wove into his dark hair as she began to kiss him back.

“Is this really happening?” She whispered against his lips between kisses, as if she thought she might be dreaming.

Jughead kissed her before replying.

“Yes.” He said, his heart beating so loud he swore she had to be able to hear it.

"Finally." She sighed as her arms slid around his neck, pulling him down to her.

Not in his wildest of dreams did Jughead think the day would ever come when Veronica Lodge would want him like this. It was unbelievable.

It didn’t take long before their clothes were off, their bodies pressed together, hot skin on hot skin.

And then Veronica finally opened her eyes, training her chocolate brown gaze on him.

“How did you know I wanted this?” She asked softly as she ran her hands down his chest and stomach, down to his throbbing hardness, making Jughead groan with pleasure at her expert touch.

Jughead smiled deviously as he ran a hand over her silky smooth thigh, gazing at her bare breasts, her gorgeous face, her dark hair fanned out across her pillow. She was a fantasy come to life.

“I didn't. But I hoped. I've been going out of my mind with wanting this, Veronica. I had to be with you.”

And with that, Jughead slowly thrust himself into her, causing Veronica to shut her eyes again, moaning softly as she arched her back into him, her body molding to his body.

She felt so good that he got chills all over, adrenaline flowed through his veins. Veronica was a whole other level of incredible, in every single way imaginable. She was utter perfection.

Her breathless cries every time he took her all the way to the height of pleasure made him crazy with a lustful voracity for her, made him go harder, giving her his all. He never wanted it to stop, hearing her moan his name over and over as he made love to her. He never wanted her to forget this night. Not for as long as she lived. Because he knew without a doubt, he would never be able to forget it whether he wanted to or not.

 

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Veronica woke up early next morning alone in her bed. She didn’t know when Jughead had left, but his clothes were gone, which obviously meant he was gone too.

She sighed, the guilt beginning to creep up on her after she had refused to think about Archie or Betty the night before, pushing them completely out of her mind so that she could be with Jughead without feeling like the most deplorable of betrayers.

Her mind drifted to the night before, and she smiled to herself. She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep when she had woken up to Jughead’s soft kisses, his lips so warm and gentle and irresistible. She couldn’t say no to him. Saying no didn’t even exist in that moment.

Laying in her bed, still without any clothes on, her new cell phone suddenly buzzed to life on her bedside table. She grabbed it quickly, wondering if it was Jughead. But it wasn’t, much to her disappointment. Instead it was a text from Cheryl letting her know that the safe house for Hermione was ready.

Veronica sighed with relief. She knew she needed to move her mother as soon as possible.

She sat up and gave Malachai a quick call, letting him know that he could go ahead and meet with Hiram. It was time to go forward with ending Hiram’s control over Riverdale.

Veronica knew her mother had been collecting important information that could help take down her husband of nearly twenty years. She had told Veronica the day before that she had found some files that she knew had vital evidence in them. Evidence that could likely lead to an arrest. Veronica could hardly wait to see what she might uncover in those files.

She knew she had a lot to do as she rushed to get out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. But she became lost in thought as the hot water hit her skin, thinking of the way Jughead's hands had been all over her as they'd made love. 

It was hard to believe she had slept with him. Even in her wildest dreams, she had never seen it coming.

After she was dressed and ready to leave, she quickly glanced at the safe house address that Cheryl had texted her. She would have to pick her mother up at the mayor’s office and take her there immediately. She had told her mother to make sure she had her bags packed and ready to go, knowing that her escape from Hiram could happen at any moment.

But as Veronica was just about to walk out the door, a note stuck to her corkboard caught her eye.

_I’m a coward for leaving, but I was afraid you would wake up and regret what happened. But I don’t regret it, Veronica. It was incredible._

_Love,_

_Jughead_

She smiled as she tucked the note into her back pocket. She didn’t regret what had happened either, but she understood Jughead’s fears. She had been afraid for the very same reason. But knowing he was glad it had happened made her heart flutter wildly.

The only thing she wondered now was what it all would mean between the two of them. She knew it was a conversation they would have to have soon, but for now, the conversation would have to wait.

\---

 

Jughead walked down the corridor to the visitor room of the prison where Archie was being held. It had been awhile since he’d gone to see his best friend.

And there was a lot to tell him, things Jughead needed to prepare him for.

He only hoped Archie would take the news well. It was vital that Archie stay strong until he would finally be released, and hopefully soon.

Jughead sat down on the other side of the glass partition just as Archie was being led in by one of the guards.

“Jughead! Hey, man!” Archie said excitedly once he’d picked up the phone that allowed them to talk somewhat privately.

“How are you doing, Arch?” Jughead asked, hoping Archie was doing better than he looked.

Archie shrugged.

“I’m surviving. But, I just want my trial to happen already. I’m ready to prove my innocence, Jug. Being in here…it’s…it’s so oppressive. I don’t know how men live in here for years and years. And I don’t want to end up like so many of them. I don’t want to end up crazy and paranoid and…suicidal.” He said, whispering the last word.

Jughead shook his head.

“You won’t, Archie. Don’t worry. We’re working on a way to get you out for good.”

Archie looked at Jughead hopefully.

“You are?”

Jughead nodded.

“It’s why I came here to talk to you. There are some things you should know…before you get back home.”

Jughead took a deep breath.

“Veronica came up with a plan. She’s trying to find out something on her dad to get him arrested. She thinks it will exonerate you and get you released. She was able to get her mother on her side, to help her. But…Archie…she’s had to do some things to…to make the plan work.”

Archie looked at Jughead with a perplexed expression on his face.

“What _things_ , Jughead?”

Jughead sighed.

“She got into an accident to get her mother’s attention, to basically con her into helping her by doing something that would make Hermione worry about her mental state. She learned how to ride a motorcycle. She’s living at The Haven. And…she joined the Ghoulies.”

Archie sat back in his chair, exasperated at what he'd just heard. He looked as though he didn’t know if he should cry, scream, or throw up.

“What the _fuck_ , Jughead? How could you let her do all of that? Veronica is a Ghoulie? _My_ Veronica?”

Jughead ran his hands anxiously over his face as Archie ranted. He didn’t blame his best friend for being upset, which was why he’d come to tell him everything that Veronica couldn’t. Jughead knew Archie needed to know everything, no matter how awful it was.

“Also…” Jughead started.

He absolutely despised the thought of telling Archie about what had been happening between him and Veronica. He wasn’t sure how he could possibly look his friend since birth in the eyes and tell him that he’d slept with his girlfriend. It was the worst feeling Jughead had ever felt in his whole life.

“Fucking _hell_ , Jug, what else? I’m not sure I can take more horrible news today.”

Jughead swallowed hard.

“Um…Betty asked me to tell you that she won’t be able to write to you for a while. She went to stay with her grandparents at their lake house. Her therapist told her she needed to get away from all forms of stress. That includes not communicating with too many people.”

Archie nodded understandingly.

“Tell her it’s fine. I just want her to feel better.” Archie replied.

He sighed deeply before looking at Jughead, his expression suddenly very serious.

“And tell Veronica that I still love her, no matter what. That I’m sorry she had to do so many awful things just to help me. Tell her…tell her that it’s the thought of getting back to her that’s keeping me strong.”

Jughead could tell that Archie meant what he said about Veronica, and he knew then that he couldn’t tell Archie about his betrayal. It would kill him when she was the only thing keeping him going. Jughead completely understood why Archie loved her so much. He understood because he loved her too.

“I’ll tell her, Arch. No problem.”

\---

 

“It’s just temporary, mom. Once dad is arrested and thrown in jail, you can move back into the Pembrooke. It’s still legally your home, not his.” Veronica said as she helped bring her mother’s bags into the small cabin deep within Evergreen Forest.

Hermione chuckled.

“Damn right, it’s mine. But don’t worry, mija. I’m looking at being in this cabin as a short getaway.”

Veronica smiled.

“That’s good. And to make your stay a little more enoyable, I brought you a bottle of your favorite cabernet.” Veronica told her as she pulled a bottle of wine out of a paper bag and placed it on the counter in the small cabin kitchen.

Hermione gave her daughter a tight hug.

“Thank you, Ronnie. I just want you to be careful. I have no idea what your father will do after he talks to Malachai. After he finds out what we’ve been up to. Eliminating all his resources…it will likely send him into a downward spiral. When your father loses control, he tends to get messy.” Veronica's mother said with a worried sigh.

Veronica took Hermione's hand in hers, doing her best to comfort her mother.

“I know that telling you not to worry is futile, but I have two gangs behind me. We’re going to get daddy back to where he belongs. Back to prison.”

Hermione nodded before explaining to Veronica everything she would need to know about where the files were, and which ones to get.

Veronica had planned on going to the Pembrooke while Hiram was meeting with Malachai. She’d be in and out of the penthouse apartment with the files she needed as quickly as she could.

She was beyond grateful at how her mother had done her part to help, but now it was time for Veronica to take care of the rest.

\---

 

“He’s coming later tonight. I’ll talk his ear off for as long as I have to in order to give you time. And as soon as he leaves, I’ll text you.” Malachai said as he and Veronica sat in the Whyt Wyrm discussing the plan for Veronica to be able to infiltrate her father’s office.

“God, I wish I could see the look on his face when he finds out about Penny, about me being a Ghoulie, about my mom. It’s so rare to catch my father off guard. More rare than seeing a penguin in the desert.”

Malachai chuckled.

“Well, we have surveillance cameras everywhere around here. You don’t have to miss the show, even if it’s not in real time.”

Veronica smiled. After weeks of planning, it was surreal that things were finally starting to happen. She felt as though she could see the finish line.

“Hey, I got your text.”

Veronica looked up to see Jughead, and her stomach immediately flipped nervously as he took a seat across from her.

“Hi…yeah…thanks for coming by.” She replied as her heart pounded riotously in her chest.

Malachai looked back and forth at the two of them, a smirk forming on his face.

“I need to go talk to some of my guys about a thing. I’ll see you later.” He said to Veronica before getting up, leaving Jughead and Veronica alone.

“Wow, _that_ wasn’t obvious at all.” Veronica said with a chuckle.

Jughead smiled shyly.

“Yeah, he and I had a little talk last night. He’s quite taken with you, Lodge. Can’t say I blame him. You are…you’re exceptional.”

Veronica’s eyes widened.

“Jughead Jones! You just said something extremely sweet. What’s gotten into you?” She asked teasingly.

Jughead chuckled.

“Did you get my note?”

Veronica nodded.

“I did. And…Jughead…I don’t regret it. Last night was…it was wonderful. The whole night was unforgettable.”

Jughead let out a sigh of relief.

“Veronica, I don’t regret it for a second, but…the guilt…it fucking sucks. Especially since I went and saw Archie today.”

Veronica gasped quietly.

“What? You _saw_ him? What did you tell him?”

Jughead leaned forward as he gazed into her brown eyes.

“I didn’t tell him about us. I just couldn’t. Not just because I felt terrible knowing how much it would hurt him, but because…Veronica, I don’t want this to be over yet. Whatever this is between us…I…I’m not ready to walk away. I know that we will have to eventually. Archie will get out of prison and Betty will come back from her grandparents, but until then…I want this.” He said as he took her hand in his.

Veronica sat silently, not expecting for Jughead to say the exact words that she had been thinking.

“He still loves you. He wanted me to tell you. We can’t break his heart, Veronica. And I can’t break Betty’s either. When she comes back, her father’s trial will be starting. The stress, the pain of me telling her how I feel about you…it would be too much. I know we’re wrong for doing this, but until it _has_ to end, I don’t want it to end.”

Veronica took a deep breath as she shook her head.

“I don’t…I don’t want it to end yet either, Jughead.”

The two sat in silence, contemplating their agreement that when the time came, they would walk away from each other. They would go back to barely being friends. They would never let anyone else see what they really felt just under the surface. They would never tell their secret.

“No one is home at my house.” Jughead finally said, his voice thick with lust.

“Want to see my room?”

Veronica stood up and pulled on her jacket.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

\---

 

Veronica basked in the way Jughead kissed and nipped at her neck while she draped her arms over his shoulders, letting her hands play in his hair, her naked body sitting astride his lap while he held her in his arms. He moved his hips in rhythm with hers, making her completely euphoric with how good he felt inside of her.

“Oh, Jug…” She sighed.

“I never knew how lucky Betty was.”

Jughead chuckled against her neck, making her yelp from how it tickled.

“Now I understand why Archie wanted to make love to you all the time.” He replied.

“You’re unbelievable, Veronica Lodge.”

Veronica took his face in her hands and kissed him deep, her tongue claiming his in a tangled, feverish liplock.

She pulled away just enough to gaze at him. He was so handsome it made her heart ache.

“We’re terrible…but when I’m with you…I don’t care.” She said between soft kisses.

Jughead cupped her cheek in his hand.

“I know I shouldn’t say this, that you might think I'm crazy, but…I love you.”

Veronica searched his eyes, wondering if he really had meant what he’d just said. But he held her gaze. She knew he was telling her the truth.

“I love you too.” She replied, tears playing at the corners of her eyes.

She had sworn she was done with crying, but all bets were off when it came to how Jughead affected her.

They made love hotly and eagerly until Veronica knew it was time for her to be leaving. She had to be ready to enter the Pembrooke as soon as Malachai texted her once Hiram had arrived at the Wyrm for their talk.

“Be careful.” Jughead told her as he played with a lock of her hair, his other arm around her waist securely, not wanting to let her go.

“I will be.” She said before kissing him achingly slow.

She couldn’t get enough of him.

“I’ll call you once I have the files. Then we can meet at the safe house and go through them to see what we can find.”

Jughead nodded in agreement as he gazed at her.

“Good luck, Princess. I’ll see you soon.”

\---

 

Jughead sat nervously at the bar of The Haven.

He knew Veronica would be fine, but he still couldn’t help but worry about her. He wondered if there would ever be a day that he didn’t worry about her.

He was so invested now, dangerously invested. But he couldn’t help it. All the time he’d spent with Veronica ever since Archie had gone to jail, ever since she’d opened a place for the Serpents to hang out in, ever since she had learned to ride a motorcycle, had all led to Jughead not being able to shake her from his thoughts.

How it was possible to love two women at the same time, he didn’t know. But the love he felt for Veronica was something so different, something totally new, and it excited him in a way that nothing had excited him in a long time.

“What’s with the lovesick look on your face, Jones?”

 Jughead turned to see Toni appear next to him, smiling knowingly at him.

“What are you doing here, Toni? You’re supposed to be at the safe house.” Jughead said quietly.

Toni nodded.

“I am, but I came to pick up dinner from Pop’s. And to grab a few things Veronica wanted me to take back with me. Don’t worry, Cheryl and Sweetpea are at the house with Mayor Lodge.”

Jughead breathed a sigh of relief.

“You _sure_ are concerned about Veronica’s mother.” She said, cocking an eyebrow at the Serpent leader.

Jughead sighed.

“Is there something you would like to know, Topaz?” He asked with a wily smirk.

Toni’s mouth dropped open.

“You two never cease to amaze me. You slept with her, didn’t you?”

Jughead didn’t reply, only took a sip of his drink, a satisfied look on his face.

“Holy shit. So, what _now_? When are you going to break up with the significant other’s?”

Jughead shook his head.

“We’re not. But Toni, you can’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

Toni sighed.

“I won’t, but…Jughead, do you really think you two are going to be able to just ignore what has happened and go back to normal? I mean, I see the way you two are when you’re around each other. The tension is palpable. Sooner or later, Betty and Archie will notice it too.”

Jughead shrugged.

“Veronica and I will just have to become really good actors. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Toni gave him a concerned look.

“Doesn’t seem like a fulfilling way to live, Jug.”

Jughead nodded.

“You’re right. It’s not. But, what else can we do?”

 

To be continued…

 


	11. Chapter 11

_The Eagle has landed._

Veronica smiled nervously when she read the text from Malachai as she stood in a shadow of a building nearby the Pembrooke Luxury Apartments.

“Here goes.” She whispered to herself as she walked confidently up to the front door of the building and into the lobby.

“Ms. Lodge.” The doorman said with a nod as she walked straight to the elevator.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief over the fact that she hadn’t been stopped. She’d been sure that her father would have made it so she couldn’t come in and out without being notified first. The fact that he hadn't was a strong indicator that he'd hoped Veronica would return to the family eventually. Too bad her father was mistaken in thinking that her war against him was only temporary.

Veronica walked down the hallway and quickly unlocked the door using her mother’s house keys.

It felt as though it had been years since she’d been inside the apartment. And a wave of homesickness hit her out of nowhere. The last time she had been there, she’d been numb with intoxication. The alcohol had helped make it easier to ignore how much she missed having a place where she belonged.

But she didn’t belong there anymore, and it was something she was still doing her best to come to terms with.

As much as she enjoyed living on her own, no longer having to deal with her father’s manipulative ways of getting what he wanted, his constant secrecy, and his outright lies; it had still been extremely difficult to be virtually without anyone.

Having her mom back in her life was an incredible triumph, and made her feel as though she was well on her way to having a somewhat normal life again.

If they could get Hiram arrested, get him back in prison, then Veronica and her mother would be able to move back into the Pembrooke and try to overcome what they had been living with for far too long. They would have each other, and that meant more to Veronica than anything.

The only other thing that had kept her going, kept her surviving, had kept her sane and safe, was Jughead.

Her thoughts were filled with him as she entered her father’s office and opened the safe with the combination her mother had given her.

She smiled, thinking about how Jughead had told her loved her. She knew he meant that he loved her as a person, as a friend, and that it had grown into more. They’d fallen in love, and it had happened out of nowhere, but there was no denying that what they both felt was real.

Veronica had discovered that loving Jughead didn’t mean she didn’t love Archie anymore. She still did. But the love she felt for Jughead was on a different level. With Jughead, it felt as if she had answered a silent call to her heart, and now her heart was at peace. With Jughead, it felt as though she’d found the only love she would ever need for the rest of her life.

As the safe door popped open, Veronica sighed. Once she was back living at home, and Archie was out of prison, and Betty was back in Riverdale, things would be different between her and Jughead. There would be no more nights alone together, no more riding their motorcycles together, no more notes on the corkboard. It was the most devastating of feelings that she’d been trying desperately to push aside, but as each hour ticked by, it was getting harder to ignore the inevitable.

Suddenly, Veronica’s cell phone buzzed. It was Malachai.

_I tried to keep him here for as long as I could, but he’s pissed and he knows something is up. Get out of there fast._

Veronica's pulse raced as she grabbed everything she could from the safe and stuffed the files in the backpack she had brought with her.

She went over to her father’s desk, finding the drawer her mother told her had more files in it that they would need. She picked the lock with a letter opener laying on the desk and grabbed the files out of the file drawer before locking it back.

Before leaving, she made sure everything was back in place before taking the back way out of the apartment complex. If things looked undisturbed, like no one had broken in, then maybe it would buy her more time from her father knowing that his days were numbered. And she silently prayed that the doorman wouldn't mention that she'd been there.

Veronica ran to her motorcycle just as she saw her father’s town car pull up to the front of the building.

She watched as he stepped out of the car and hurried towards the building entrance.  She sighed and sped off into the night knowing that shit was about to hit the fan.

\---

“Veronica got the files. She’s on her way.” Jughead relayed with a sigh of relief once he received Veronica’s text.

He had been on pins and needles ever since he’d arrived at the safe house.

Toni, Cheryl, Sweetpea, Hermione and Malachai, had all been waiting with him, hoping to hear that she had made it out without any issues.

Knowing that she had accomplished her mission gave him a feeling of pride.

“That’s my girl!” Hermione said with a thankful smile.

Jughead had noticed that she had been on edge too, as well as Malachai, who had been sitting in a chair biting his nails anxiously.

“Your daughter is a true badass, Mrs. Lodge.” Sweetpea told her, reaffirming Veronica’s success at her plan.

Suddenly, Jughead heard a motorcycle pull up in front of the cabin.

He ran outside to see Veronica taking off her helmet before getting off of her bike.

Jughead couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around her, holding her so close he could feel her heart beating against his chest.

“You’re fucking amazing.” He said into her hair as he held her.

Veronica chuckled.

“Don’t say that until we figure out how we’re going to get my father arrested.” She replied before kissing him softly on the lips.

The two walked into the cabin and Veronica set her backpack on the table.

“Let’s get started on going through the files. How was the meeting with my dad, Mal?”

Malachai shook his head.

“He knew as soon as he walked in that something was up. He demanded to know why I haven’t been returning his calls. I told him that I was busy burying a body. The look on his face was priceless. He knew immediately that I was talking about Peabody.”

Malachai chuckled, remembering Hiram’s reaction before continuing.

“He asked why I killed her. I told him that the unfair payment sent me into a rage. He had no idea that I knew about it. He asked how I found out. I told him that his incredibly astute daughter got the dirt on him. I proceeded to tell him that you were now one of us, and that we had made a pact with the Serpents. It was in that moment that he got a look of pure panic on his face. It was beautiful, Lodge.”

Veronica sighed.

Jughead knew that as much as she looked forward to taking down her dad, she still loved him, and it was hard to know that she was the one destroying him.

“Before he took off, he told me to tell you that he wants to meet with you. That you could name the place and he’ll be there. Obviously he wants to negotiate. He’s waiting to hear from you.”

Veronica shook her head.

“There is no _way_ I’m making any deals with him. He’s crazy if he thinks I’d be willing to do that.”

Hermione set down her glass of wine, a serious expression on her face as she looked at Veronica.

“You absolutely _cannot_ meet with your father, Ronnie. There is no telling what he will do.” She said, her hands shaking knowing just how dangerous Hiram was, even when it came to his own daughter.

Jughead watched as Veronica ran her hands through her hair, struggling to figure out what she should do. He wished more than anything he could hold her in that moment.

“Well, if we can find something in these files, then you won’t have to meet with him.” Jughead said as he picked up one of the files and began to go through the papers contained inside of it.

But after hours of reading every single word on every single paper in every single file, they all sighed in utter frustration.

“All of this is just circumstantial.” Jughead said angrily as he sat back on the cabin couch, tired and discouraged at their lack of finding anything solid enough to lead to Hiram’s arrest.

“I mean, all of it is so damning, and we’re so close. But…Jughead is right.” Veronica replied as she looked in the backpack one last time to make sure every file had been taken out.

“So what do we do now?” Malachai asked, clearly just as aggravated as the rest of them.

Jughead watched as Veronica stood up and began to pace the small living room.

“At this point, I think…I think I’m going to have to meet with him. I can record him, see if I can get him to admit to _something_ , to _anything_ …it’s the only other thing I can think to do.”

Jughead immediately began to object, but Veronica gave him a calming look.

“It will be okay. I think this could work. We just…we have to be positive. I can get something out of him. I _know_ I can.”

Hermione frowned as she looked at her daughter.

“It’s so risky, mija. Your father is not going to be as calm and collected as usual. I don’t know if he has any other cards to play at this point.”

Veronica sighed.

“Neither do we, mom. This is the last card _we_ have.”

\---

 

“I wish you could stay the night.” Veronica said as she and Jughead sat curled up on the couch after her mother had gone to bed and everyone else had left.

“I will if you want me to.” He replied as he kissed the top of her head, his hand holding hers.

It still felt so surreal to be with him like this, but she wanted to savor it for as long as she could. Jughead wasn’t hers, but for now, she could pretend he was.

“No, you should go see your family, and make sure my dad doesn’t come knocking on your door in some kind of insane attempt to get you on his side.” She said with a laugh.

Jughead chuckled.

“The man tried to have me killed, got my best friend arrested, and basically kicked my girlfriend out of her home. I think it’s fair to say I will _never_ be helping him.”

Veronica’s ears perked at what he had just said, making her eyes widen in surprise.

“Jughead, did you just refer to me as your _girlfriend_?”

Jughead covered his face with his hand.

“Shit, I guess I did…I’m sorry…” He said, embarrassed at his slipup.

Veronica shook her head.

“It’s okay, Jug. It was actually…really nice.”

Jughead turned so he was facing her.

“Then let’s make it be true. Let’s just…let’s tell Archie and Betty. They’ll get over it eventually. Why should we have to go back to how things used to be between us? Why can’t we have what we want?”

As much as Veronica wanted to agree with him, to just be honest with everyone about how they felt about each other, she knew it would only lead to disaster. Everything was much too fragile around them at the moment.

“Jughead…” She said with a sorrowful smile as she put a hand on his cheek.

Jughead sighed.

“I know, I know…we can’t.”

Veronica loathed the idea of their night ending on a sad note, so she got an idea. She smiled at Jughead seductively.

“So…have you ever made love on the banks of Sweetwater River, under the moon and stars?” She asked him as she got up from the couch and took his hand in hers.

Jughead shook his head no.

“Have you?” He asked, a curious grin on his face as Veronica led him to the front door of the cabin.

“No, not yet. But there’s a first time for everything.” 

\---

 

Jughead woke up the next morning, exhausted, but for the best reasons. His night with Veronica had been beyond incredible. Just when he thought she couldn’t get any sexier, any wilder, she managed to prove him wrong. He was completely head over heels for the raven-haired princess.

He smiled to himself as he got up to head to the kitchen for some coffee, not expecting to find his dad sitting there reading the paper and dressed as if he was going somewhere important.

“Hey, dad. Where you headed?”

FP looked up at his son and smiled.

“Going back to my job at The Haven.” He replied, looking especially happy that morning.

Jughead cocked an eyebrow at his dad.

“So, does that mean that things between you and mom are back to normal?” Jughead asked, feeling hopeful that his parents had finally ended up on the same page.

FP nodded.

“There are still some kinks to work out, but for the most part, yeah. Things are going well. Question is, how are things with _you_? I’ve noticed you’ve been spending quite a lot of time with Veronica.”

Jughead shook his head as he took a deep breath.

“Uh…no. Not really.”

But his father wasn’t buying it.

“Juggling two women…that always ends _so_ well.” He said with a sarcastic chuckle.

Jughead rolled his eyes.                    

“Dad, please. The last thing I want to talk to you about is my love life.”

FP nodded.

“Sounds good to me. So how about you tell me what went down with the plan last night? I take it Hiram knows that he no longer has his Ghoulie army behind him?”

Jughead chuckled before filling his father in on Malachai’s conversation with Hiram, as well as the files that Veronica had stolen from her father’s office and how they found nothing solid in them.

“So Veronica decided she would meet with her father. And hopefully we’ll get something from it.”

FP listened intently, concern on his face.

“Even if he doesn’t give up any damaging information for Veronica to get on tape. There is one way she might be able to finally get her father thrown in prison for a very long time.”

Jughead looked at his father inquisitively.

“I’m listening.”

 

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

“You’ve got this, baby.” Jughead said reassuringly as he sat on a stool at Pop’s, doing his best to be Veronica’s moral support before she made the call to her father to plan their face-to-face meeting with each other.

Veronica took a deep breath as she stood at the counter of Pop’s with the landline phone in her hand.

She had just dialed her father’s number and waited anxiously for him to answer.

“Hello?” Came the deep, familiar voice of Hiram Lodge.

“Daddy. It’s me.” Veronica replied, making sure to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Calling from Pop’s? What happened to your cell phone?” He asked, suspiciously.

“I lost it in a little accident that I had on my motorcycle.” She lied.

She didn’t want her father to know she had a new cell phone with a new number. She had planned to use her new cell to record their conversation once they met in person.

“You should get a new one. I’ve been trying to reach you.” Hiram replied with an irritated tone.

"And I'm sure you are already aware of how strongly I disapprove of you riding a motorcycle. That kind of thing is for thugs and criminals."

Veronica rolled her eyes, eliciting a silent laugh from Jughead. If she didn’t know any better, she would assume that her father had been worried about her. But she knew that wasn’t exactly the case. He was _more_ worried about himself.

“I’ll get a new phone eventually. I’ve been a little busy lately. And as far as my new form of transportation, riding a motorcycle is actually much more economical.”

Jughead covered his mouth, stifling another chuckle as he listened to the conversation.

“Sounds like useless information that your friend Jughead probably fed you with.” Hiram said with an exasperated tone.

“But regardless, I think it’s time that you and I talk about everything. That we try to work some things out. I can’t have my daughter, a Lodge, running around with the likes of Malachai and those Ghoulies. I’m willing to come to some type of agreement that can benefit us all.”

Veronica listened carefully. As level-headed as her dad was attempting to sound, she could still hear the distress in his voice. He was losing, and he was well aware of it. It wouldn’t take much else for him to break down completely.

“Okay, daddy. I’m willing to hear you out, but I’m not making any promises about anything.”

Her father said nothing at first. She had never known him to be speechless.

“Where would you like to meet, mija, so that we may hash things out in person?” He asked, a hopeful tone in his voice that suddenly began to make her feel horrible over what was happening to him.

She looked up at Jughead hesitantly, and just as if he knew what she was thinking, he took her hand in his and squeezed.

“It’s okay.” He mouthed to her.

Veronica nodded as she took another deep breath.

“I’ll meet you wherever you want, daddy. But I think neutral territory is best.” She said confidently, though she didn’t feel as confident as she sounded.

So much was riding on her meeting with Hiram. She needed this to go according to her plan.

“Okay, then how about the gazebo at Pickens Park at 7 o’clock?”

Veronica exhaled slowly.

“Good choice. I’ll see you there at 7 o’clock.”

Veronica hung up the phone just as Jughead came around the other side of the counter and put his arms around her, letting her dissolve into his embrace, her head on his chest.

“You were perfect. We’re almost there, Veronica. We’re almost done.” He said softly as he stroked her hair.

“Jughead, what will we do if we can’t get what we need out of him? What if he continues to terrorize people? It won’t take long for him to come up with new plans.”

She was so afraid they wouldn’t be able to win. That Hiram was too smart, too resourceful.

“Don’t think that way. I told you what my dad said to do. Get your father to take you somewhere remote, then drop the bombshell about that campaign account and about you and me. Break down his mental faculties and see where you can play him from there. Something’s got to give. Be positive, baby.”

Veronica smiled. Jughead always knew just how to calm her.

“I like it when you call me ‘baby’.” She said as she looked up at him.

“You’ll _always_ be my baby.” Jughead replied before kissing her long and deep as his hand slid down and grabbed her bottom while the other clutched her waist.

He slowly backed her up against the counter as he began to pepper kisses along her neck, gliding his tongue over the ticking vein just under the sensitive skin.

“Oh…Jug…” She whimpered as she let her hand wander down to the bulge that had suddenly formed in his jeans.

“There’s no customers…let’s go downstairs to my room…” She sighed in between Jughead’s nips on her collarbone and shoulder as he pulled at the strap of her camisole top.

He made her so hot, it was as if her skin was burning with every touch, and every kiss.

“My dad’s down there.” Jughead chuckled as his hands suddenly dipped underneath the hem of her skirt.

Suddenly he spun her around, pulling down her panties in the process as she gripped the edge of the counter to steady herself.

She heard the sound of Jughead unzipping his jeans and the excitement that flowed through her veins made her shaky with a carnal desire unlike any other she had ever felt.

“God _damn_ , you’re so fucking beautiful.” Jughead growled in her ear as he quickly plunged himself into her from behind, making Veronica cry out from the pleasurable pain of how copiously Jughead filled her.

“What if Pop walks in…” She groaned as Jughead’s hand grabbed her breast as he pushed deeper into her.

“I don’t care. I can’t control my insatiable need to be with you, Veronica. It’s out of my hands.” He said with a laugh.

Veronica chuckled but she was unable to hold back the moans that escaped her lips over and over as Jughead slammed into her relentlessly, clutching her hip in his other hand, squeezing every time he thrust back into her.

He was so good that she couldn’t help but wonder how she could possibly ever go back to being with Archie now that she’d experienced the mind-blowing abilities that Jughead possessed when it came to sex. He was crème brule to Archie’s pudding cup. It wasn’t fair, and she would never be as satisfied.

Their shouts reverberated throughout the diner as they both reached their climax, panting breathlessly as Veronica slumped against the counter and Jughead wrapped her up in his arms, resting on her as he tried to catch his breath.

“We just defiled the Chock-Lit-Shoppe.” Veronica said with a sigh, grinning from ear to ear at how impulsive Jughead had been. She liked this side of him immensely.

“I’ve always wanted to do that. Just hadn’t found the right girl to do it with until now.” Jughead replied as he turned Veronica around to gaze at her.

He kissed her tenderly on the lips, making her feel a warmth all the way to her toes. He had done her a huge favor by distracting her from her worries about her father. And now she suddenly felt a lot more peaceful and confident about what she had to do.

“I love you.” He said quietly as he stared into her eyes.

Veronica smiled.

“I love you.”

Jughead was her peace, her touchstone. She didn’t know how she’d ever be able to fall out of love with him. But she knew she would have to try.

\---

 

Jughead sat on the couch inside the safe house after Veronica had called a meeting to go over the logistics of her upcoming face-to-face conversation with her father.

He listened intently, though his mind and heart were racked with worry for her.

"I have to meet with him alone. No backup, no tailing us, nada. He'll suspect we're being watched and I'll prove to him we're not by going with him to some place that’s secluded. Knowing my dad, he'll take that as an opportunity to get me isolated from anyone that could come to my aid."

Veronica took a deep breath, and Jughead could tell she was struggling with the honest truth that she would never be able to ever trust her own father. 

"So you're just going to put yourself in danger like that?" Malachai asked, obviously just as concerned as everyone else. 

"Hiram won't hurt her. That's the one thing he'd _never_ do. But he could end up attempting to keep her out of his way by sequestering her." Hermione insisted.

"Well, isn't _that_ a nice word for kidnapping." Cheryl chimed in as she rolled her eyes.

"And that's why my dad suggested that Veronica let Hiram take her somewhere where no one will find her. If he doesn't let her leave, she could press kidnapping charges." Jughead said with a smirk, loving the idea of Hiram be locked away with the reputation of kidnapping his own daughter.

"The only problem is finding out where he's taken me before he implements a whole new plan." Veronica said with a sigh.

Jughead hated seeing her worry. It felt like a punch to his chest.

"We'll find you, Veronica. Even if we have to search the whole county and beyond." Jughead replied as he gazed at her, wanting more than anything to hold her, to reassure her.

Veronica smiled at him, a nervous look in her eyes.

"I know you will."

It was getting closer to the time that she needed to meet her father at Pickens Park. Jughead rode behind her motorcycle until they were only a block away from the meeting spot.

They pulled over and climbed off of their bikes for one last pep talk.

"You'll do great. You'll get something on him this time, I _know_ you will." Jughead told her before cupping her face in his hands.

But Veronica’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, a sight he rarely ever saw.

"God, I hope so…But...to be honest, Jug, the one thing that is getting to me the most is the fact that our time together is so limited as it is, and now I have to _waste_ it by not knowing how long I'll be away from you." She replied as she bit her bottom lip, trying not to give into the intense urge to cry.

Jughead's heart ached.

"I'm going to come for you as soon as I can. It won't be long, baby, I promise. And then...we'll make up for the lost time." He said with a mischievous grin.

Veronica finally smiled before he kissed her hotly, with urgency in the way his lips molded to her lips, wanting her to remember the way his mouth felt on hers. To give her a promise that he would be waiting for her, ready to kiss her again once she finally got what she needed to rid their small town of her nefarious father.

“I can’t believe there was a time when I could hardly stand you.” She said with a chuckle once they’d pulled away.

Jughead’s arms snaked around her waist.

“You _still_ can’t stand me!” Jughead joked, gazing at her.

Veronica ran her finger over his bottom lip as she smiled flirtatiously at him. It never got old when she looked at him that way, and his hearted slammed inside of his chest unremittingly.

“True, but I find you _much_ more tolerable nowadays.” She replied with a sultry tone.

She gave Jughead one last kiss before straightening herself, mustering the confidence she would need to exhibit in front her father once she faced him in just a matter of minutes.

“See you later.” She said softly.

Jughead nodded at her as he watched her go, wishing to God he could take her place so that she wouldn’t have to go through with having to face Hiram Lodge.

But he knew she could handle it. It was one of those things he loved about her. She was strong, even when she was scared. Her bravery stood firm and she pushed through. He knew Veronica would be fine with, or without, him. But he’d give anything to be able to always be by her side.

The unfortunate thing was, that soon, he’d have to be by her side from a distance.

\---

 

Veronica saw her father standing in the middle of the gazebo, having arrived at their meeting spot before she had.

Knowing her father, he had done so on purpose, to make sure Veronica didn’t get the jump on him and arrive with her Serpent and Ghoulie armies in tow.

She said nothing until she was standing directly in front of him, immediately noticing how tired her father looked. It seemed he hadn’t slept in days. Even in his impeccable suit and tie, not a hair on his head out of place, there were circles under he is eyes and sallowness to his face that wasn’t typical for her dictatorial dad.

“Daddy.” She said matter-of-factly, with a nod.

“Veronica, it’s lovely to see your face. I’ve _missed_ you, mija.”

Veronica wanted to hug him. Because he sure as hell looked as though he needed one. But she had to remember that the days of her father manipulating her emotionally were over and done.

“So what _exactly_ did you want to meet with me about?” Veronica asked, sternly.

It was extremely important she look resolved and not the least bit intimidated. Though if there was ever a person who could intimidate her, it was Hiram Lodge.

Hiram let out a heavy sigh.

“I want us to make peace. To get back to a good place, not just with each other, but with Riverdale. I know I’ve done unspeakable things, but I’m willing to stop doing anything that puts anyone else in any kind of danger, if we could just compromise on some things.”

Veronica cocked an eyebrow at her father.

“Like what?” She asked, curiously.

Hiram cocked his head.

“Nothing major, but I _would_ like to know where you are keeping your mother. The Mayor of Riverdale should be in her home, with her husband. We have our share of marital issues that we need to resolve, but we can’t do that if she is being kept away from me. She has nothing to be afraid of.”

Veronica chuckled.

“Who said she was afraid?”

Hiram’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t realized his slip-up. Veronica knew better. If Hiram had to get rid of his dear wife because of her turncoat status, he would.

“Uh, I just mean…if that’s what she told you in order for you to hide her, it’s just a big misunderstanding.”

Veronica shook her head.

“No deal, daddy. I’m not telling you where she is.” She replied smugly.

Hiram clenched his jaw, but quickly composed himself.

“Okay then, fair enough. Then my next offer is that I will leave the Serpents alone and give them back their trailer park if you give me back the Ghoulies.”

Veronica couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“You _really_ are desperate! That’s not going to happen either, Hiram.” She said, looking closely at her manicured nails as if she was already bored with the conversation.

“Well, it seems as though a much longer conversation is in order for the two of us to come up with some type of negotiation. We certainly can’t do it out here in the open while it’s beginning to get dark.” Her father said as he looked up at the sunset overhead.

It was, in fact, getting late, and Veronica remembered what Jughead had told her about what FP had said. That if her father suggested they go somewhere else to talk in private, with the peace of mind that no one would overhear them, that she should go with him. It could lead to a possible kidnapping situation, which would be a last resort if they didn't get anything else.

“Okay. Let’s talk somewhere else then.” Veronica agreed.

Hiram nodded as he and Veronica walked over to where his town car was waiting.

Never in her life had she been more afraid of going somewhere with her own father. But she was determined. Even if she had to risk everything.

 

To be continued…

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Veronica was barely listening anymore as her dad droned on and on about why he had done what he’d done.

He spoke about legacy, and securing the future for them all, including any future grandchildren. He spoke about being raised so poor that he had to borrow clothes from children at the orphanage and it was why he was so adamant about being successful. He went on and on about how the Lodge name needed to be remembered for years and years to come. That power was everything, and it would get them anything.

Whatever he could think of to say to convince Veronica that everything he did was for the greater good, he would say.

He came up with deal after deal, with Veronica shaking her head each time, reiterating to her father that there were no deals to be made, and that she was only humoring him by agreeing to meet with him in the first place.

But he wasn't convinced.

So while he continued to ramble on, Veronica had her phone recording everything. But all she could think about was trying to mentally remember where her father had brought her.

 _Main road. Left turn onto a road with no name. Right turn onto a dirt road. Left turn. Right turn. Right turn. Left up a hill. Right down a long, gravel driveway to a small cedar wood, planked house._ She thought to herself over and over.

There were no other houses around. It was as if the property surrounding the small house had all been bought up to prevent any further building in the heavily wooded area. If her father had been the one to build this place, it was was for the purpose of having intense privacy.

She knew she would have to get the information to Jughead as soon as she was able to, so that he would be able to find her. 

Finally, Hiram let out a loud sigh.

“Well, I’ve tried everything with you Veronica, but you won’t even attempt to meet me halfway.” Hiram said, aggravated and exhausted as Veronica noticed how more and more frazzled he was beginning to look.

It was unsettling, to say the least. She’d never seen her dad look anything but calm, cool, and collected in every situation throughout her whole entire life.

“I have to leave for a little while to go check on something. Something that will help me to move on to the only other plan I have just in case our conversation didn’t go in my direction.”

Veronica looked up at her father, puzzled.

“You’re going to leave me here?”

Hiram got an eerie smile on his face.

“Oh mija, don’t worry. Daddy will be back soon. I’ll even bring us some dinner. But please, don’t try to leave on your own. There are… _things_ …out in these woods that could be awfully dangerous for you. And to be honest, leaving isn’t an option, Ronnie. You'll stay here until I'm ready to let you leave.”

Veronica didn’t say anything, just watched as her father left through a back entrance of the house. She looked around, wondering if security cameras were watching her as she sat on the leather sofa.

She had never been in this place before, but as she looked around, it was clearly a place her father owned and visited often based on the everyday items lying about. Newspaper clippings, file folders, a pair of reading glasses, a fully stocked bar.

So many secrets her father still kept even after he had told Veronica that he had disclosed everything to her about himself and the family business.

He clearly hadn’t.

She took out her phone and quickly texted Jughead the directions to wherever it was that she was being held.

_He’s gone for now, but he’ll be back soon. I think he went to go check the campaign fund account. When he returns, I’ll drop the bombs I have ready to reveal. He hasn’t admitted to anything outright, but he’s so close._

Jughead replied almost immediately.

_Okay, we’ll find out where it is that you are being held. Even if he doesn’t admit to anything, we now have grounds for false imprisonment by him not letting you leave and you recording it. You’re doing great, Veronica. I’ll see you soon. I love you._

Veronica’s heart fluttered. As independent as she’d always tried to be, as tough and as strong as she’d always tried to be, she liked that Jughead wanted to be her hero. She wanted him to be her hero too. And she couldn’t wait to thank him for everything he had done.

\---

 

Jughead stared at the map of Riverdale and it’s outskirts as he stood over the kitchen table of Hermione Lodge’s safe house.

“Where the _fuck_ is that dirt road she mentioned?” Malachai was asking as he scanned the map so closely, his eyes were practically touching the paper.

Jughead shook his head.

“I don’t know…it’s almost as if it was built recently? So recent that it’s not even on the map.”

Hermione stood nearby, looking as if she was in deep thought. Finally, she spoke.

“I’m almost certain that I’ve seen a list of all the properties that Hiram owns. He doesn’t know that I know about them, but they’re all secret places that he’s kept over the years for various reasons. I just wish I could remember where I’ve seen that list.”

Jughead looked over at her.

“Was it somewhere in his office?” Jughead asked, hopeful.

Hermione shook her head.

“I don’t think so. But, he has a drawer in our bedroom closet that he always kept locked. That’s the only other place I can think of where I might have found it once when I got curious as to what he was hiding from me that I didn't know about. He never talked about that drawer. He never opened it when I was around. But I think that’s where I found that list.”

Jughead felt a surge of relief at the new information from Veronica’s mother. He was desperate to get to Veronica, willing to go into the deepest and most dangerous of woods just so he could find that cedar plank house where she was being held.

“Mrs. Lodge, do you think you could go to the Pembrooke and get it? And quickly?” Jughead asked, wishing he could go get it himself but knowing he would barely be allowed into the Pembrooke Apartment lobby, much less up the elevator and to the Lodge penthouse.

Hermione suddenly got a worried look on her face.

“But what if Hiram is there?” She asked, her voice shaky.

The fact that she was clearly afraid and understandably nervous was the only thing that made Jughead wonder if they should even try to get the list or just go find Veronica based on her directions.

He sighed, but decided to take the risk. They didn’t have a lot of time.

“Don’t worry about it. We can do some quick recognizance before you go in. We won’t let you be put in danger. If Hiram isn’t there, but shows up, we’ll make sure he doesn’t get inside. Do you trust me, Mrs. Lodge?”

Hermione looked at him closely, but then slowly nodded.

“I do trust you, Jughead. And I’m glad my daughter has you as a friend. I just don’t want to let you down. I don’t want to let Ronnie down.” She said hesitantly.

Jughead gave her a reassuring smile.

“You won’t.”

\---

Hiram was right when he said he wouldn’t be long. He arrived back at the house within 30 minutes, and the look on his face was one Veronica had never seen before.

“Where’s the money, Veronica?! Where is it?! What have you done with it?!” He asked, so panicked that Veronica worried he might have a heart attack right then and there.

As much as Veronica felt the immediate urge to cower at her father’s booming voice and severe rage, she stayed as emotionless as possible.

“Oh, the campaign money? Yeah, I had mom clean out the account so I could pay the Ghoulies to team up with me and the Serpents. Why? Did you need it for something?” She asked with a smirk.

Hiram stared at his daughter in furious disbelief. The realization that came over his face could almost be considered a beautiful thing if it didn’t also hurt so much to know what she was doing to her own father.

As much as he had used her as a pawn in his games, and had played her for a fool countless times, had hurt her friends and her mother; he was still her father and the good memories she had of him seemed to haunt her mind no matter how hard she tried to push the thoughts away.

Hiram sat down in the chair across from her, running his hands over his face in total frustration. Suddenly, an agonizing wail echoed throughout the living room.

“You have ruined me. My own daughter has _ruined_ me! I knew I should never have gone after Archie. I _knew_ I should never have had him arrested for killing that stupid kid. It wasn’t him...it was Andre that shot Cassidy. I...I didn’t know you would go to such lengths to get Archie freed. I didn’t know you loved him more than your _own_ _damn_ _father_!”

Veronica sighed, but kept herself composed.

“It wasn’t just for Archie, daddy. I did all of this for Jughead too. I love Jughead. And what you did...trying to get him killed? I could not let that go without you facing the consequences. Getting rid of all your resources was the only way I could stop you from hurting more people. It had to stop, daddy. And it stops _now_.”

Hiram looked up at Veronica, bewilderment on his face.

“I will _not_ have my only child, my _daughter_ , be involved with the likes of Jughead Jones. I won’t _have_ it!” He roared as he stood up and began to pace the room, as if he was still trying to think of some way to undo all that had already been done.

“You don’t have a choice in who I love, or who I am with. You never have, no matter how hard you have tried.” She replied, forcing back the tears that were prickling at the corners of her eyes.

Just then, Veronica heard the roar of motorcycles approaching and surrounding the house, the glare of headlights bounced along the inside walls.

She had never heard a more wonderful sound.

Hiram looked out one of the windows, staring out as a look of pure fear darkened his face.

“How did you call them if you don’t have a phone?” He gritted through his teeth as he continued to stare out at the countless gang members that were surrounding the whole house.

Veronica noticed flashing police lights as well. Meaning that now her own father’s back pocket sheriff, Sheriff Minetta, would have no choice but to arrest Hiram Lodge if he didn’t want to be implicated as having been a part of Hiram’s schemes ever since Sheriff Keller was forced to resign.

“I'm your daughter. I'm a Lodge. You don’t think I’ve learned a few tricks? Besides, in your panic, you became too trusting. You should have known I would have a phone.”

Hiram shook his head as he stood back from the window. But before he could even say a word, the front door of the house burst open.

Jughead, Malachai, and Sheriff Minetta stormed in, with a crowd of Serpents and Ghoulies entering behind them.

“Hiram Lodge, you are under arrest for false imprisonment and conspiracy to kidnap.” Minetta barked as he approached Hiram with a pair of shiny, metal handcuffs.

Veronica watched as her father stood stock still, not making a sound. He didn’t argue or put up a fight, only gave Veronica a sorrowful glance as he was led out of the cabin and to the waiting police cruiser.

“We’ll see to it that Lodge gets escorted all the way to the police station properly. And we’ll even hang out until he’s transported to the county prison. No way do I trust that pig Minetta.” Malachai said as he motioned for his Ghoulies to follow the Sheriff and other officers that had been waiting outside, just in case backup was needed.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Doll Face. I might just be a bit more in love with you now than I was before.” He said as he gave her a wink before leaving the house.

Veronica chuckled. She knew he had only teased her as a way to make her feel better for what she’d just been through. As insane as Malachai was, he’d actually become a good friend.

“Veronica.”

Veronica’s shifted her gaze over to Jughead, who was watching her closely, and carefully taking note of how okay she was or wasn’t.

“I’m okay, Jug. At least, I _will_ be.” She said with a sigh.

Jughead motioned for her to come to him, and she did willingly.

He wrapped her up in his arms snugly, his heart was beating so rapidly, that she couldn’t help but smile.

“You were a lot more worried than you let on.” She said as her head rested against his chest.

Jughead let out a soft laugh.

“I was, but I wanted to be brave for you.”

Veronica said nothing, just stood there with him, holding each other even after everyone else had left.

“I got his confession about Archie. And his non-denial about what he did to you.”

Jughead sighed heavily.

“Thank God. There should be enough charges to put your father away for a long time. But…I’m sorry for how hard this has been on you, Veronica. I would do anything to take it all away.”

Veronica could feel a tear roll down her cheek. She didn’t like to cry, but Jughead’s comfort made her feel safe to let the tears fall.

“We’re moving your mother back into the Pembrooke right at this moment. Do you want me to take you to her?”

Veronica nodded.

“Yes, but then I want you to take me somewhere else. Some place where you and I can be alone for the next 24 hours.” She said as she looked up at him through heavy-lidded, seductive eyes.

She wanted him, and she wanted him to understand just how much.

Jughead leaned down to kiss her lips as his hands wove into her dark hair. Veronica’s arms slid around his neck, and they stayed that way for a long time before Jughead finally pulled away.

“I’ll take you anywhere you want, Veronica. All I want is to be where you are.”

 

To be continued…

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

“So when are you going to move out of this place?” Jughead asked quietly as Veronica lay on his chest in her bed while he ran his hand through her black tresses.

They had been together in Veronica’s room at The Haven for the past day, just like Veronica had wanted. And Jughead wasn’t going to hesitate to stay with her for a second night.

They’d made love so many times, he’d lost count, doing their best to sate themselves until they were no longer able to be together. Though Jughead knew he’d never be satisfied. Every time he was with Veronica, it seemed to be better than the last. Not being able to be with her in this way was going to be agonizing. But he couldn’t allow himself to go there yet. He just wanted to soak up every second he had left with her.

Because leaving her side was the very last thing he wanted to do after the hellish couple of days she’d just had.

“I’ll probably start taking my stuff back to the Pembrooke tomorrow.” She replied before letting out a deep sigh.

“But I’m actually going to miss this place.”

Jughead nodded in agreement.

“I’ll miss it too. This is the place where I first kissed you. And where I first made love to you. Not to sound completely corny but, it feels like this will always be a special place to us.”

Veronica sighed dreamily.

“It will be. Always. And there’s nothing corny about it.”

Jughead chuckled.

“These past couple of months have been insane. But I’m glad I went through it with you, Veronica. Who would have thought I’d fall so hard for the girl I never wanted to even give a chance at friendship with? But you let me in and showed me who you really are, and I’m forever changed because of you. I love you, baby. I love you to the deepest of depths within my cavernous heart.”

He meant every word of what he said to her, and he wanted to say so much more. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t care who got hurt, that what he felt for her mattered more. But then he would think about how blindsided both Archie and Betty would be if they knew about him and Veronica. It wouldn’t be fair to slap them in the face like that after what they’d both been through.

“Spoken like a true writer, Jug.” Veronica replied as she looked up at him and smiled, winking teasingly at his literary eloquence.

“And maybe you can write about this time we had together. Keep it locked away somewhere safe, for just the two of us to ever know about. No matter what the future holds, this time was _our_ time that belonged to _us_ and no one else. And I undeniably love you, Jughead Jones. You own my heart.”

Jughead leaned down to kiss her before pulling away just enough to reply.

“You have no idea how incredible it is to hear you say those words to me, Lodge, because you’ve owned _mine_ for a lot longer than I’ve wanted to admit.”

Veronica climbed on to his lap, her naked body bathed in the dim, candlelit light of the room. His heart pounded wildly as she gave him that look that told him that she had every intention of blowing his mind, which she always did. Every single time.

But suddenly, her cell phone rang.

“Damn it! Give me just a sec, Loverboy.” She said with a smirk as she picked up the phone, obviously thinking it might be her mother with news about her father’s case.

“Hello?” She chirped brightly.

Jughead gazed at her, grinning at how sexy it was to see her on top of him while she was trying to take a phone call, but obviously pleasantly distracted when he shifted himself so that he was now inside of her.

She stifled a moan at the feel of him, but then scowled at him playfully. But then, all of a sudden a look of pure dread came over her face.

“Um, yes…I’ll accept.”

Jughead looked at her confused. She was pale, as if she was going to be sick.

“Well...hello to you too, Archie.”

\---

 

“He’s being released tomorrow.” Veronica said after her call with Archie ended.

She knew she should feel happy, but a feeling of pure agony swept over her. She was glad that Archie was being released, and so quickly. And it was obvious that he was beyond elated that he was actually getting out in just a matter of hours, and without even having to go to trial.

Archie thanked her over and over again.

“I can’t _believe_ what you went through to clear my name, Ronnie. I love you so much and I can’t wait to see you and hold you. Hearing your voice…it means everything to me.”

It took all the strength Veronica had within herself to not burst into tears. Not just because of how happy Archie was without having any idea of how she had betrayed him, but also knowing that the reality of losing Jughead was hitting her harder than she could have ever imagined it would.

She was heartbroken.

“That’s a _good_ thing, Veronica. I know how you’re feeling right now, but it will be okay. Everything will be okay. Archie doesn’t have to know anything. Just let him be happy to be home, back with his family, back with his friends, and…back with you.”

Veronica noticed how quietly Jughead had said that last part. As positive as he was trying to be for the both of them, she knew he was struggling too.

Veronica shook her head.

“I’m happy for Archie. I am. I really am happy that he’s getting out of that retched place and that he no longer has to deal with my father’s bullshit. But…Jughead…I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want…I want… _this_ …” She said softly as she began to rock her body on top of his.

Jughead groaned as her body worked him, grinding eagerly as she took his hands and placed them on her breasts, wanting him to touch her, to feel his hands on her, rubbing the pink tips with his thumbs as she whimpered with ecstasy.

She let herself get lost in the indescribable sensations she felt all over, throughout her mind and her body whenever she was with Jughead. In him, her soul knew it had met her complete and perfect match. And she knew she would never feel at peace until she could be with him this way again. No matter how long it might take.

\---

 

Three Weeks Later…

 

Jughead sat in Pop’s after school with Betty across from him, talking nonstop about how nervous she was about their first edition of the Blue and Gold for the new school year.

“I mean, we need to start the year off with a bang. We can address all of the insanity that happened before school got out, but I want to find a way to put that in the past and move forward with the events that are being planned for this year.” She was saying as she looked through all the flyers for the Back-to-School activities going on at Riverdale High School.

They’d been back at school for two weeks, but things were still shaky.

There were still people that sneered at the Serpents as they walked through the hallways. There were people that still thought Archie was a killer, regardless of his release from prison after the District Attorney dropped all the charges. People constantly told Betty that she should be ashamed that she hadn’t known that her own father was the Black Hood. But the person who seemed to get the most grief was Veronica.

No one wanted to trust her, especially now that she was a Ghoulie. And most people didn’t want to believe that she wasn’t somehow responsible for the things her father had done to the town. No one could believe Archie would even still touch her after the way Hiram had framed him. And she was constantly accused of getting special treatment just because her mother was now the mayor.

But what was most amazing was the way Veronica handled it all. She kept her head held high. She seemed so unaffected and unfazed. Jughead wouldn’t blame her if she fought back, but she didn’t. He was so proud of her that he couldn’t help but find a way to let her know that he was still there for her. He still had her back. He still loved her.

So he had been sending her flowers every week, with the note on the card always saying one thing.

_With Love from my cavernous heart,_

_\- J_

He’d knew she had received them when she would pass by him in History class and tap her fingers on his desk, a sly grin on her face.

It was one of the only ways they could communicate without anyone knowing that the romance between them hadn’t died out when Archie and Betty had returned home.

It had only grown stronger.

But he missed her so much it was absolute torture. What he wouldn’t give to hold her and make love to her, to talk to her for hours about everything that was on their minds. To go for a ride on his bike, or a swim at the Quarry.

Not being able to live with her in his life made him feel as if he wasn’t really living at all.

Jughead nodded at everything Betty was saying as he tapped a pencil on his steno pad on the table in front of him, but he hadn’t written down a thing. Not one story idea.

All he could think about was the way Veronica was smiling and talking to the customer that had come in to pick up a to-go order. He tried to be casual about the way he would glance over at her, but seeing her smile was something he never wanted to miss.

“What’s wrong, Juggy?” Betty asked, suddenly bringing him out of his reverie.

“Uh…nothing…I just wish Veronica would stop _yapping_ so I could get my burger!” He said loud enough for Veronica to hear him.

“Keep your beanie on! You will get it when you get it!” She yelped back.

Betty smiled as she shook her head.

“You two, _always_ fighting. It’s good to see that some things _never_ change.”

Jughead sighed. Betty had no idea just how wrong she was.

“So, anyway…you know...my mom won’t be home tonight.” Betty said quietly as she gave Jughead a flirtatious grin.

“You should come by.”

Jughead swallowed hard. He had managed to avoid the intimate part of his relationship with Betty ever since she had returned. Though she’d been more than eager to spend a night alone together, he’d been able to have an excuse each time she asked.

He knew it would be just a matter of time before Betty finally got tired of asking, and she’d want to know if there was some other reason why he wasn't interested in having sex with her. He wasn’t sure what he would do when that time came, but he knew that being with Betty in that way would feel as if he was betraying Veronica. And hurting Veronica was the one thing he never wanted to do.

Jughead couldn’t help but feel an ache in his heart wondering if Veronica and Archie had made love ever since he got out of prison. But Jughead had no way of knowing.

He and Veronica hadn’t been alone together since the morning after Archie and Betty returned. They didn’t text each other, they didn’t call. The only communication they had were their silent glances and the casual conversations at Pop’s with Archie and Betty present.

“Jug? What do you say?” Betty prodded.

But before Jughead could even give her an answer, the door chimed and in walked Archie.

“Just the people I was looking for!” He greeted as he took a seat next to Jughead.

Jughead let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Hey, Arch! What’s up? Everything okay?” Betty asked cheerfully, but with a hint of worried guilt in her tone.

Ever since they had all found out that Hal Cooper was the Black Hood, Betty had done everything she could to make it up to Archie. Her guilt for what her father had done haunted her, no matter how many times Archie had told her to not blame herself for anything.

“Everything is great now that I’m about to eat the best food in town served by my amazing girl.” Archie said as he locked his gaze on Veronica as she approached their table with a tray full of burgers and milkshakes for all of them.

“On the house, as usual!” She chirped as she set the food down.

It was all Jughead could do to not pull her down for a kiss as he stared at her lips. But his hopes were dashed when Archie suddenly pulled her down to him instead, kissing her softly on her mouth before releasing her from his grasp and grinning ear to ear.

Jughead felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach at the sight.

“Will you join us, Ronnie?” Archie asked with a hopeful tone.

Veronica hesitated as she fidgeted with her apron.

“Sit down for a bit, V. You _are_ the boss, after all.” Betty said quietly with a warm smile, as if she thought Veronica’s hesitation had to do with the two girl's floundering friendship.

Veronica nodded as she took the empty spot next to Betty.

She glanced over at Jughead quickly, a look of apology flashed across her face.

But Jughead couldn’t help but push away his plate of uneaten food. Seeing Archie get to be the one to call Veronica his girl and kiss her in the middle of the diner felt incredibly unfair.

“The most beautiful boss to ever own Pop’s, might I add. Right, guys?” Archie said as he gazed at Veronica.

Betty nodded in agreement.

“You really do wear the new uniform well, V. She looks lovely, doesn’t she Jughead?” She asked as she kicked Jughead under the table, a subtle form of telling him he needed to say something nice.

But the abrupt nudge wasn’t needed.

Of course Jughead thought Veronica was lovely in her uniform. He thought she was gorgeous all the time, especially when she was naked underneath him, biting her lip and moaning his name.

He felt a twitch in his jeans at the thought, not realizing he was staring at Veronica until her eyes met his, and he knew that she knew exactly what he was thinking as her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

“Yes, she _is_ lovely.” He said, almost too wistfully.

The four sat together for a while longer, talking about how things have been now that life in Riverdale seemed to finally be getting back to normal. But there was something that hung in the air that didn’t feel right. Something that indicated that more drama was right around the corner.

If Jughead had to guess, he thought it could only be the likely event that one day soon he would no longer be able to tolerate not having Veronica as his own. He would tell everyone about what his heart really wanted, and then he would watch how his confession would cause heartache and pain for people he cared about. But at least Veronica would be by his side through it all.

Finally, Betty gave Jughead a nod that she was ready to go.

“Can you take me home, Juggy?” She asked sweetly.

Jughead nodded, unable to stop himself from catching Veronica’s eye. She looked just as disappointed as he had felt when Archie had kissed her in front of him.

“Thank you for the dinner. See you guys later.” Betty said as she took Jughead’s hand in hers and led him out to his waiting motorcycle, where she proceeded to pull on her helmet, the same one Veronica had worn so many times over the summer.

Jughead sighed as he turned to glance at the diner, wishing like hell he could run back inside to the woman his heart _really_ belonged to.

He wouldn’t do it, though, but he knew that what he felt was a ticking time bomb. And he had no control over when it would explode.

\---

 

Veronica got to The Haven early. She had wanted to stop in before school to grab some of her things while no one else was around, just in case she decided she needed to have a quick sulk session.

She had been down in the dumps for weeks, ever since she and Jughead had ended their secret romance.

It was a tormenting pain like none she had ever felt before.

It had been so bad that she had left most of her stuff at her old living quarters all in an effort to avoid the thoughts that she knew would come flooding through her mind as soon as she stepped through the doorway. To avoid the empty corkboard, to avoid the polaroid pictures she kept of her, Jellybean and Jughead when the three of them would go get pizza or go to the Quarry, to avoid looking at her unmade bed, knowing that the last time she had slept in it had been with Jughead next to her.

She didn’t want to think about the first time he had kissed her, after he’d been in such a panic to find her and she had been too embarrassed to call him.

She didn’t want to think about the first time he had made love to her, waking her up from a short sleep with the most tender of kisses.

She didn’t want to think about how he had taken her back to her small space after her father had been arrested, had held her while she cried, comforted her when she had woken up in cold sweats, and when he told her he loved her over and over again, that she was his baby and that he would never get over her.

It had all felt like the one good dream in between nothing but nightmares, the only flicker of happiness while going through absolute hell.

And now she had to live a life where no one could know what she felt for the Serpent King.

Sure, her mother had made a guess when Veronica had started receiving Jughead’s beautiful bouquets of flowers. Flowers she had to keep on the dining room table instead of in her room in case Archie was to come by and wonder who she had received the lovely blooms from.

“I know you and Jughead have become close, but I didn’t think it was quite so close that he would be sending you _flowers_.” Hermione had said after Veronica had received the second delivery a week after the first one.

Veronica hadn’t said anything, just gave her mother a shrug before going to her room to read the card, bursting into tears that turned into smiles at what he had written to her.

Seeing him at school was a whole other story. It seemed every day was a new drama with someone who still had beef with her or her father, and the one person she wanted to run to, she couldn’t. But Jughead’s knowing glances and crooked grins were his way of letting her know that he was proud of her, and she would get through it.

It was _something,_ at least, and it would have to do. But what she wouldn’t give for the two of them to be able to sneak away together where no one could find them, stealing some time to be alone, to be in their own world with each other.

At least she still got to see Jellybean.

Jughead’s little sister would burst through the front door of Pop’s with the biggest smile on her face every Tuesday and Thursday after math club to have a milkshake at the counter and chit chat with Veronica until it was time for her to go home for dinner.

She would often lament about how sickening her parents were now that they were back together and succeeding in their marriage counseling. But Veronica knew that Jellybean was secretly delighted that FP and Gladys seemed so happy.

“Mom has even talked about wanting to get back in touch with _your_ mom. To see if they can patch up their old friendship. Wouldn’t that be great?” Jellybean had asked Veronica during one of her afternoon visits.

Veronica nodded in agreement.

“I think that would be fantastic, JB! I’ll talk to my mom about it.” She’d told Jellybean, thinking that it was the perfect time for her mom to have an old friend in her life.

Veronica was proud at how well her mother was handling Hiram’s arrest and imprisonment. She was even in talks with her new attorney, Sierra McCoy, on pursuing a divorce from Hiram and getting sole custody of Veronica.

As difficult as Veronica knew it would be for her mother, she was glad that she was finally ready to get out of the toxic marriage that she had been in for far too long. And her popularity as the mayor of Riverdale had skyrocketed ever since she had spoken out about Hiram’s crimes and how she would do her best to undo all the damage he had done to their town.

Meanwhile, Veronica hadn’t seen or spoken to her father since his arrest, regardless of how many times he had tried to reach out to her. She wasn’t ready, and she didn’t know when she would be. For now, she knew she just needed time.

She had wanted to talk to Archie about it, but she didn’t feel she could. She still felt such a tremendous responsibility for what her father had put Archie through, and she didn’t want Archie to have to listen to her feelings of being torn when she knew how much Archie detested Hiram.

Archie. As much as she still cared for him, and loved him, she would be lying to herself if she said she was still _in_ love with Archie Andrews. She wasn’t. And she had avoided making love to him, blaming her stress and trauma from the summer on her reasons for wanting to "wait a while" before she and Archie were together in that way again. He was so understanding, and she was grateful for it, because she knew she never wanted to be with anyone other than Jughead. He was the only one for her in every way.

Her heart just didn’t have room to love two men. Jughead had managed to own her heart completely, and with barely any fight.

Veronica hated the guilt, not only of what Hiram had put Archie through, but what _she_ would be putting him through if he ever found out about how she felt about Jughead.

And she wasn’t sure for how much longer she could keep it a secret. It seemed that as every day passed, she was becoming weaker and weaker instead of stronger. She was becoming more and more likely to spill her guts on who she really loved instead of keeping it locked away tight.

She was a dam ready to break. All it would take was one, tiny fissure in her façade.

“What are you doing here so early?”

Veronica jumped at the unexpected voice behind her, but it was a voice that felt like music to her ears.

She turned to see Jughead standing in the doorway of her room, studying her with a playful smile on his face.

Her heart immediately began to beat uncontrollably as she grinned at him.

“I was coming to get some of my things, but I ended up sadly reminiscing instead.” She replied with a weak chuckle.

Jughead nodded.

“Yeah, I do that too sometimes. Well… _actually_ …I do it a lot. I miss you, Veronica.”

Veronica felt a tingle go up her spine at his words. It was just what she had needed to hear.

“Is that why you came here? To reminisce about how amazing I was?” She asked teasingly.

Jughead let out a quiet laugh.

“You were amazing then, and you’re amazing now. And I came here to write you a note for the corkboard just to tell you that. You know, for old times sake.”

Veronica wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry or both.

“What, exactly, were you going to write?” She asked curiously as she stepped towards him, wanting to close the space between them.

Jughead met her halfway before placing a hand gently on her cheek.

She sank into the feeling of his incredible touch.

“I was going to write and tell you about how badly I miss you. That I can’t stop thinking about you and dreaming about you. That seeing you with Archie is driving me crazy with jealousy. That I’m tired of trying to remember how it feels to touch you, to kiss you, to make love to you. I’m tired of pretending that I’m not in love with you. That I want us to just stop staying away from each other. We belong together, Veronica. We’ve been through too much to not allow ourselves what we deserve. And what we deserve is to be happy, to be happy _together_.”

Veronica swallowed hard, not wanting to cry. There was absolutely no way she could disagree with him. There was absolutely no way she could deny everything he felt, because she felt the exact same way.

“Damn it, Jughead…I miss you so much that I feel as though it’s slowly killing me. I want to be with you. I _need_ to be with you. Watching you and Betty together, it rips my heart out. I can’t take it. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I feel lost without you. I know it won’t be easy, that we’ll have to face some hurdles in order to make this work, but…I’ll do anything, Jughead.  I love you too much to not take the risks, even if it means hurting Betty and Archie.”

She paused, sighing heavily at the thought of what this might do to two people she cared so much about, but knowing that no matter what she did, two people were going to get hurt regardless. And she was tired of sacrificing and having nothing for herself. She refused to martyr her heart.

“I never intended to fall for you, Jug, or to cause them pain. But I can’t walk away from you. Not when you’re standing in front of me again.”

Veronica had barely finished her sentence when Jughead’s mouth suddenly claimed hers in a fiery kiss that immediately made her whole body melt. Thankfully, he was holding her close to him, his arms tightly encasing her against his body that molded to hers to faultlessly, so soundly. It was heaven.

“I love you.” He murmured against her lips between kisses, as he began to walk them over to her old bed.

“I love you too.” She replied, not caring at all about the two of them being late to school.

There was no way in hell she was going to stop what they had started.

“We’ll have to tell them.” She said quietly as Jughead’s lips moved to her neck, his breath against her ear gave her the most incredible shivers while he undid the zipper on her dress.

“I know…we will…soon…” He said as he peppered kisses along her bare shoulder as he let her dress fall to the floor, pooling around her feet.

She sighed at his touch, knowing that nothing that felt this good could possibly be wrong.

And even though they were still holding onto their secret for the time being, they wouldn’t be for much longer. Because the war within the two of them was over.

And they had both won.

 

The End.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this one shot combo turned into 14 chapters! Thank you to the two anons on Tumblr that gave me the prompts to write this, and thank you to all of you who read it! Thank you for the kudos and the notes and for just being here!
> 
> I appreciate it so much and I hope you all enjoyed this ride for our dear otp.
> 
> THANK YOU AGAIN! The encouragement I get from my readers means more to me than I can ever write in words, and I really like writing words! :)


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